Where is the iconostasis in the temple? Why do the temples need an iconostasis and a curtain over the Royal Doors? Sedon Whirlwinds and the Door of the Gods

Today the Royal Doors are an obligatory part of the iconostasis of an Orthodox church. They are located in the center of the iconostasis and are the main entrance to the altar. However, until about the 8th century there were no iconostases in churches, and the concept of “Royal Doors” appeared already in the 4th century. Why these gates are “Royal” and what their significance is explained by the senior lecturer of the Department of Liturgics of PSTGU Alexander TKACHENKO and the chief architect of the Association of Restorers, corresponding member of the Academy of Architectural Heritage Andrey ANISIMOV.

Gate for the king

“The first Christians gathered for prayer in private homes, and in the 4th century, when Christianity became the state religion, emperors transferred basilicas to Christians - the largest buildings in Roman cities, used for court hearings and trade. The main gates in these buildings were called royal, through which the emperor or bishop entered the temple, explains Alexander Tkachenko. “The people entered the temple through the doors located along the perimeter of the basilica.” In the ancient Church, the main person performing divine services, as well as the head of the community, was the bishop. The service did not begin without the bishop - everyone was waiting for him in front of the church. The entrance into the temple of the bishop and the emperor, and after them of the entire people, was the most solemn moment at the beginning of the Liturgy.

The altar part of the temple did not take shape right away. At first it was separated from the main part by low partitions, then in some churches curtains appeared (katapetasma from the Greek katapštasma), which were closed at certain moments of the liturgy, primarily during the consecration of the Gifts. “There is very little evidence of these veils in the first millennium,” says Alexander Tkachenko. - The life of St. Basil the Great tells that the saint introduced the use of curtains covering the Throne for reasons that were not at all theological: the deacon who served him often looked back at the women standing in the church. In the second millennium, the use of veils became widespread. They were often decorated with embroidery, images of saints, and the Mother of God.”

The name “Royal Doors” was transferred from the main entrance to the temple to the gates of the iconostasis also in the second millennium. “For the first time, the gates leading to the altar began to be given independent significance only in the 11th century,” says Alexander Tkachenko, “when one of the interpretations of the liturgy says that with the words “Doors! Doors!” It is not the gates of the temple that are closed, but the doors leading to the altar. The complete iconostasis as we know it - with the Royal Doors, rows of icons - was formed only in the 16th - 15th centuries.”

Historical and symbolic

When large church communities broke up into many parishes, the custom of waiting for a bishop disappeared. Priests began to serve in parish churches and could be in the altar from the beginning of the service. “Therefore, gradually (after the 8th - 9th centuries) the bishop’s entrance into the temple, and then into the altar, received a new meaning: additional chants and prayers appeared that accompany this entrance (today it is called the Small or entrance with the Gospel). In ancient times, the Gospel was kept in a guarded and secret place. This was due to persecution and the danger of losing the Gospel Code. Bringing the Gospel for reading was a solemn moment. Now the Gospel is always kept on the Throne, and the Small Entrance connects both actions: the entry of the bishop (priest) into the temple and the bringing of the Gospel, which is taken from the Throne, carried out through the deacon’s gate and taken back through the Royal Gate.” The meaning of the Small Entrance is interpreted differently: according to the interpretations of some holy fathers, the Small Entrance symbolizes the Incarnation and the coming of the Savior into the world, according to others - the beginning of His public ministry and going out to preach.

Once again during the liturgy, a procession of clergy passes through the Royal Doors, when the Cherubic Hymn is sung and the Cup of wine, which will become the Blood of Christ, and the paten with the Lamb, which will become the Body of Christ, are brought out. This procession was called the Great Entrance. “The very first explanation of the Great Entrance dates back to the turn of the 4th - 5th centuries,” explains Alexander Tkachenko. - Authors of this time say that the procession signifies the carrying of the deceased Body of Christ taken from the Cross and His position in the tomb. After the Eucharistic prayers are read and the Gifts become the Body of Christ, they will signify the Resurrection of Christ, Christ will rise in the Holy Gifts. In the Byzantine tradition, the Great Entrance received a different interpretation. It is revealed in the Cherubic song that accompanies the procession. She tells us that the Great Entrance is a meeting of Christ the King, who is accompanied by Bodyguard Angels. And the Royal Doors can be called that not only because in ancient times the emperor entered through them, but because now Christ enters through them as the King of Glory, who goes to die on the cross for the sins of people out of love for man.”

Canon and creativity

Architect Andrei Anisimov talks about the traditions of designing the Royal Doors and the task of the architect: “The Royal Doors are the gates of Paradise, the Kingdom of Heaven. This is what we proceed from when creating them. The Royal Doors must be placed strictly in the center, along the axis of the temple (behind them there should be a Throne, then a higher place). The Royal Doors are usually the most decorated part of the iconostasis. Decorations can be very different: carving, gilding; carved on baroque iconostasis grape vines, paradise animals. There are the Royal Doors, on which all the icons are placed in temple frames, crowned with numerous domes, which symbolizes the Heavenly City of Jerusalem.”

The Royal Doors, like a shrine, can move from one temple to another. “Sometimes you look, and the Royal Doors are not part of the general ensemble. Then it turns out that this is a gate from the 16th century; in Soviet times, grandmothers hid it before the closure or destruction of the temple, and now these gates are back in their place, and the iconostasis is new,” continues Andrei Anisimov.

As a rule, the four evangelists and the Annunciation are depicted on the Royal Doors. But within these topics, options are possible. “Only the Annunciation can be depicted in full size,” explains the architect. - If the gate is small, instead of the evangelists their animal symbols can be placed: an eagle (the symbol of the Apostle John the Theologian), a calf (the Apostle Luke), a lion (the Apostle Mark), an angel (the Apostle Matthew). If in the temple, in addition to the main altar, there are two more chapels, then on the central Royal Doors they can depict the Annunciation and the Evangelists, and in the side chapels - on one gate the Annunciation, and on the other - Saints John Chrysostom and Basil the Great - the authors of the rites of the Divine Liturgy.

An image of the Last Supper is most often placed above the gate, but there may be Christ giving communion to the apostles (“Eucharist”) or the Trinity. The iconography of the Royal Doors (Annunciation and Evangelists) shows us the path by which we can enter the Gates of Paradise - the path of salvation, which is opened by the Good News of the birth of the Savior and revealed in the Gospel.

When designing the Royal Doors, the architect has room for creativity. The royal doors, like iconostases, can be wooden, stone, marble, porcelain, or iron. “For the industrialist Demidov, the cheapest material was iron - he made iconostases from iron. In Gzhel there are porcelain iconostases. In Greece, where there is a lot of stone, the altar barrier is made of stone. In the Greek iconostasis, the Royal Doors are low, chest-deep, and the opening between the gates and the arch is large. With the Royal Doors closed, but with the curtain pulled back, you can see the Throne, the high place, what is happening in the altar, you can hear everything well.”

Why are the Royal Doors not always open?

According to the charter, on Easter days - Bright Week - the Royal Doors are constantly open. This is a symbol of the fact that Christ, having suffered the death of the Cross, opened the entrance to Paradise for us. The altar symbolizes Paradise, and the rest of the temple symbolizes earth.

Now you can hear calls: let's serve as in the ancient Church, with the Royal Doors open, what should we hide from the believers? “This call has nothing to do with the scientific study of ancient worship,” comments Alexander Tkachenko. - In ancient times, at the doors to the main part of the temple there were special servants called ostarii (door keepers). They made sure that only those who would receive communion were present at the liturgy, the rest (catechumens and penitents, those who did not have the right to receive communion) were removed from the church at the deacon’s exclamation of “the catechumens, come out” (those who are catechumens, come out from the temple). And that is why in ancient times the problem of closing the Royal Doors and the altar did not exist. Subsequently, when the order of the catechumens disappeared, and there were fewer communicants, the altar began to be closed from those in the temple, in order to avoid profaning the Sacrament.”

The opening or closing of the Royal Doors shows the most important moments of the service. The words of the prayer that the priest says before entering through the Royal Doors into the altar at the end of the third antiphon also speak about reverence. It contains the words: “Blessed is the entrance of Thy saints.” According to one interpretation, the words of this prayer refer to the entrance to the Holy of Holies, since the altar part of the Christian temple symbolically correlates with the Holy of Holies of the Jerusalem Temple, where no one except the high priest had the right to enter. Therefore, when the priest says: “Blessed is the entrance of Your saints,” this means “blessed is the entrance into the Holy of Holies,” that is, the path to heaven opened to us, according to the Apostle Paul, by the Lord Jesus Christ (see: Heb. 9:7- 28). But can we say that we are always ready for the journey to heaven? And if we answer honestly, it turns out that the open altar and Easter joy are not within our capabilities all the time.

Irina REDKO

Comprises porch, middle part And altar.

Narthex- This is the western part of the temple. To enter it, you need to climb the steps to an elevated platform - porch. In ancient times, the catechumens stood in the vestibule (this is the name given to those preparing to receive baptism). In later times, the vestibule became the place where, according to the rules, the betrothal, the lithium during the all-night vigil, the rite of announcement, and the prayer of women in labor are read on the fortieth day. The narthex is also called the meal, since in ancient times love suppers were held in this part, and later meals after the liturgy.

From the vestibule a passage leads to middle part, where worshipers are located during worship.

The altar is usually separated from the middle part of the temple iconostasis. The iconostasis consists of many icons. To the right of the royal gates is an icon Savior, left - Mother of God. To the right of the image of the Savior is usually temple icon, that is, an icon of a holiday or saint to whom the temple is dedicated. On the side doors of the iconostasis are depicted the Archangels, or the first deacons Stephen and Philip, or the high priest Aaron and Moses. An icon is placed above the royal doors Last Supper. The complete iconostasis has five rows. The first is called local: in addition to the icons of the Savior and the Mother of God, it usually contains a temple icon and locally revered images. Located above local festive row of icons: icons of the main church holidays are placed here. The next row is called deisis, which means “prayer.” In its center is the icon of the Savior Almighty, to the right of it is the image of the Mother of God, to the left is the Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist John. They are depicted facing the Savior, standing before Him in prayer (hence the name of the series). The images of the Mother of God and the Forerunner are followed by icons of the holy apostles (therefore, another name for this series is apostolic). Saints and Archangels are sometimes depicted in the deisis. In the fourth row are icons of saints prophets, in the fifth - saints forefathers, that is, the ancestors of the Savior according to the flesh. The iconostasis is crowned with a cross.

The iconostasis is an image of the fullness of the Kingdom of Heaven; the Mother of God, the Heavenly Powers and all the saints stand at the Throne of God.

Altar- a special, holy, important place. The altar is the holy of holies of an Orthodox church. There is a throne on which the Sacrament of Holy Communion is performed.

Altar- this is an image of the Kingdom of Heaven, a mountainous, exalted place. There are usually three doors leading to the altar. The central ones are called royal gates. They are opened in special, most important and solemn places of service: for example, when the priest brings out the chalice with the Holy Gifts through the royal doors, in which the King of Glory, the Lord Himself, is present. There are side doors on the left and right of the altar barrier. They are called deacons, since clergymen, called deacons.

Altar translates as high altar. And indeed the altar is located higher than the middle part of the temple. The main part of the altar is on which the Bloodless Sacrifice is performed during the Divine Liturgy. This sacred action is also called the Eucharist, or the Sacrament of Communion. We'll talk about it later.

Inside the throne are the relics of saints, for in ancient times, in the first centuries, Christians celebrated the Eucharist at the tombs of holy martyrs. On the throne is antimens- a silk board depicting the position of the Savior in the tomb. Antimens translated from Greek means instead of the throne, since it also contains a piece of holy relics and the Eucharist is celebrated on it. At the antimension, in some exceptional cases (for example, during a military campaign), the Sacrament of Communion can be performed when there is no throne. Stands on the throne tabernacle, usually made in the form of a temple. It contains spare Holy Gifts for giving communion to the sick at home and in the hospital. Also on the throne - monstrance, in it the priests carry the Holy Gifts when they go to give communion to the sick. On the throne is located Gospel(it is read during worship) and cross. Immediately behind the throne stands seven-branched candlestick- a large candlestick with seven lamps. The seven-branched candlestick was still in the Old Testament temple.

Behind the throne on the east side is high place, which symbolically marks the heavenly throne or chair of the eternal High Priest - Jesus Christ. Therefore, an icon of the Savior is placed on the wall above the high place. They usually stand in the highest place altarpiece of the Virgin Mary And grand cross. They are used to wear during religious processions.

In those churches where the bishop serves, there are stands on stands behind the throne. dikiriy And trikirium- candlesticks with two and three candles, with which the bishop blesses the people.

In the northern part of the altar (if you look directly at the iconostasis), to the left of the throne, - altar. It resembles a throne, but smaller. The Gifts are prepared on the altar - bread and wine for the Divine Liturgy. There are sacred vessels and objects on it: Bowl(or chalice), paten(round metal dish on a stand), star(two metal arcs connected to each other crosswise), copy(spear-shaped knife) liar(communion spoon) Pokrovtsy for covering the Holy Gifts (there are three of them; one of them, large and rectangular in shape, is called air). Also on the altar there is a ladle for pouring wine and warm water (heat) into the cup and metal plates for particles taken from the prosphora.

The purpose of sacred vessels will be discussed in detail later.

Another altar item - censer. This is a metal cup on chains with a lid topped with a cross. Coal and incense or incense(fragrant resin). The censer is used to burn incense during the service. The incense smoke symbolizes the grace of the Holy Spirit. Also, the incense smoke rising upward reminds us that our prayers should ascend upward to God, like the smoke of a censer.

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To the right of the Royal Doors is an icon of the Savior, where He is depicted with a Book and a blessing gesture. On the left is an icon of the Mother of God (usually holding the Baby Jesus in her arms). Christ and the Mother of God meet us at the gates of the Kingdom of Heaven and lead us to salvation throughout our entire lives. The Lord said about Himself: “I am the way, the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me" (); “I am the door to the sheep” (). The Mother of God is called Hodegetria, which means “guide” (usually the iconographic version of the Mother of God Hodegetria is placed here).

The icon following the image of the Savior (to the right in relation to the ones ahead) depicts the saint or holiday in honor of which the temple is named. If you entered an unfamiliar temple, it is enough to look at the second icon to the right of the Royal Doors to determine which temple you are in - in the St. Nicholas Church there will be an image of St. Nicholas of Myra, in Trinity - the icon of the Holy Trinity, in Assumption - the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in the Church of Cosmas and Damian - the image of Sts. unmercenary, etc.

In addition to the Royal Doors, in the bottom row there are also southern and northern doors (also called deacons, because it is the deacon who uses them more often than others during the divine service). As a rule, they are much smaller in size and lead to the side parts of the altar - the altar, where Proskomedia is celebrated, and the deacon or sacristy, where the priest vests before the liturgy and where vestments and utensils are stored. On the deacon's doors they usually depict either archangels, symbolizing the angelic service of the clergy, or the first martyrs of the archdeacons Stephen and Lawrence, who showed a true example of serving the Lord.

It is hung from inside the Royal Doors (Greek καταπέτασμα - katapetasma), which is opened or closed at certain moments of the service.

The Royal Doors are opened only during divine services and only at certain moments. During Bright (Easter) Week they do not close for a whole week as a sign that Jesus Christ has opened the gates of the Heavenly Kingdom for us.

The Royal Doors open during the Liturgy:

- for the Small Entrance with the Gospel, which marks the appearance of the Lord to preach the Gospel, and after reading the Gospel they close;

– for the Great Entrance, at which the Holy Gifts are transferred from the altar to the throne and then closed, which signifies the Savior’s descent into hell;

- when presenting the Holy Gifts for the communion of the people, which depicts the appearance of the Lord to His disciples after the resurrection, the ascension to heaven and the Opening of the Kingdom of Heaven.

Only clergy are allowed to pass through the royal doors.

The Royal Doors - when did they appear and what do they mean? In the center of the local - the lowest - row of the iconostasis there are the Royal Doors. Symbolically, they represent the gates of Paradise, opening the path to the Kingdom of Heaven for man. In Byzantium, the central doors of the temple were called the Royal Doors. After the liturgical exclamation of the priest “Doors! Doors! the ministers closed the entrance to the temple and only the “faithful,” that is, the baptized, were present at the Eucharistic canon. Later, the meaning and name of the Royal Doors was transferred to the central doors of the altar, located directly opposite the Throne. Only clergy can enter the altar through them and only during divine services. The Royal Doors open at strictly defined moments during the service. And during Bright (Easter) Week, the Royal Doors are not closed for a whole week. Traditionally, the figures of the Archangel Gabriel and the Virgin Mary are placed on the two doors of the Royal Doors, forming together the scene of the Annunciation, as a symbol of the fact that through the Incarnation the doors of Paradise, locked after the Fall of man, became open again for everyone. Also, images of the four evangelists are placed on the Royal Doors, as a sign that with the Joyful News of the Incarnation of Christ and through familiarization with the Gospel preaching, the doors of salvation are opened to man. In Byzantium, and later in Ancient Rus', there was a practice of placing on the Royal Doors life-size images of the Old Testament prophet Moses, who built the Tabernacle for the sacrifice, and the first priest of the Jerusalem Temple, Aaron, in liturgical clothes, as well as figures of Saints John Chrysostom and Basil the Great - the authors of the Divine Liturgy. A striking image of the Heavenly City of Jerusalem was the Russian Royal Doors of the second half of the 16th–17th centuries. The shine of gilding, multi-colored enamels, mica plates and precious stones reminded of the beauty of the Divine City, described by the Apostle John the Theologian in the book of Revelation (Apocalypse). Dmitry Trofimov The Royal Doors are the gates located in the middle of the iconostasis and leading to the throne. They are called so because through them the Holy Gifts are brought out to the liturgy - the Lord himself - the King of Glory - comes out to the believers (Ps. 23:7,10). In worship, the opening of the Royal Doors symbolizes the opening of the Heavenly Kingdom. Only clergy are allowed to pass through them. The iconostasis has three gates. The central, largest, are called the Royal Doors. They are called the Royal Gates because they symbolize the entrance to the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God is revealed to us through the Good News, therefore the Annunciation theme is depicted twice on the Royal Doors: the scene of the Annunciation with the Virgin Mary and the Archangel Gabriel, as well as the four evangelists preaching the gospel to the world. Once upon a time, to the liturgical exclamation “Doors, doors!” the ministers closed the outer doors of the temple, and they bore the name Royal, for all believers are the royal priesthood, but now the doors of the altar are closed. The Royal Doors are also closed during the Eucharistic Prayer, so that those who thank the Lord for His atoning sacrifice are, as it were, on opposite sides of the altar barrier. But in order to connect those who stand outside the altar and what is happening in the altar, the icon “The Last Supper” (or “Communion of the Apostles”) is placed above the place where the Royal Doors are located. Sometimes images of the creators of the liturgy of Sts. are placed on the doors of the Royal Doors. Basil the Great and John Chrysostom. To the right of the Royal Doors is an icon of the Savior, where He is depicted with a Book and a blessing gesture. On the left is an icon of the Mother of God (usually holding the Baby Jesus in her arms). Christ and the Mother of God meet us at the gates of the Kingdom of Heaven and lead us to salvation throughout our entire lives. The Lord said about Himself: “I am the way, the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14.6); “I am the door of the sheep” (John 10.7). The Mother of God is called Hodegetria, which means “guide” (usually the iconographic version of the Mother of God Hodegetria is placed here). The icon following the image of the Savior (to the right in relation to the ones ahead) depicts the saint or holiday in honor of which the temple is named. If you entered an unfamiliar temple, it is enough to look at the second icon to the right of the Royal Doors to determine which temple you are in - in the St. Nicholas Church there will be an image of St. Nicholas of Myra, in Trinity - the icon of the Holy Trinity, in Assumption - the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in the Church of Cosmas and Damian - the image of Sts. unmercenary, etc. In addition to the center of the iconostasis where the Royal Doors are located, in the bottom row there are also southern and northern doors (also called deacon doors, because it is the deacon who uses them more often than others during the divine service). As a rule, they are much smaller in size and lead to the side parts of the altar - the altar, where Proskomedia is celebrated, and the deacon or sacristy, where the priest vests before the liturgy and where vestments and utensils are stored. On the deacon's doors they usually depict either archangels, symbolizing the angelic service of the clergy, or the first martyrs of the archdeacons Stephen and Lawrence, who showed a true example of serving the Lord. From the inside, the Royal Doors are covered with a curtain (Greek, katapetasma), which is opened or closed at certain moments of the service. The Royal Doors are opened only during divine services and only at certain moments. During Bright (Easter) Week they do not close for a whole week as a sign that Jesus Christ has opened the gates of the Heavenly Kingdom for us. The Royal Doors are opened during the Liturgy: for the Small Entrance with the Gospel, marking the appearance of the Lord to preach the Gospel, and after the reading of the Gospel they are closed; For the Great Entrance, at which the Holy Gifts are transferred from the altar to the throne, they are then closed, which signifies the descent of the Savior into hell; During the presentation of the Holy Gifts for the communion of the people, which depicts the appearance of the Lord to His disciples after the resurrection, the ascension to heaven and the Opening of the Kingdom of Heaven. ABC ru Gates for the king “The first Christians gathered for prayer in private houses, and in the 4th century, when Christianity became the state religion, emperors transferred basilicas to Christians - the largest buildings in Roman cities, used for court hearings and trade. The main gates in these buildings were called royal, through which the emperor or bishop entered the temple, explains Alexander Tkachenko. “The people entered the temple through the doors located along the perimeter of the basilica.” In the ancient Church, the main person performing divine services, as well as the head of the community, was the bishop. The service did not begin without the bishop - everyone was waiting for him in front of the church. The entrance into the temple of the bishop and the emperor, and after them of the entire people, was the most solemn moment at the beginning of the Liturgy. The altar part of the temple did not take shape right away. At first it was separated from the main part by low partitions, then in some churches curtains appeared (katapetasma from the Greek katapštasma), which were closed at certain moments of the liturgy, primarily during the consecration of the Gifts. “There is very little evidence of these veils in the first millennium,” says Alexander Tkachenko. - The life of St. Basil the Great tells that the saint introduced the use of curtains covering the Throne for reasons that were not at all theological: the deacon who served him often looked back at the women standing in the church. In the second millennium, the use of veils became widespread. They were often decorated with embroidery, images of saints, and the Mother of God.” The name “Royal Doors” was transferred from the main entrance to the temple to the gates of the iconostasis also in the second millennium. “For the first time, the gates leading to the altar began to be given independent significance only in the 11th century,” says Alexander Tkachenko, “when one of the interpretations of the liturgy says that with the words “Doors! Doors!” It is not the gates of the temple that are closed, but the doors leading to the altar. The complete iconostasis as we know it - with the Royal Doors, rows of icons - was formed only in the 16th - 15th centuries.” Historical and Symbolic When large church communities broke up into many parishes, the custom of waiting for a bishop disappeared. Priests began to serve in parish churches and could be in the altar from the beginning of the service. “Therefore, gradually (after the 8th - 9th centuries) the bishop’s entrance into the temple, and then into the altar, received a new meaning: additional chants and prayers appeared that accompany this entrance (today it is called the Small or entrance with the Gospel). In ancient times, the Gospel was kept in a guarded and secret place. This was due to persecution and the danger of losing the Gospel Code. Bringing the Gospel for reading was a solemn moment. Now the Gospel is always kept on the Throne, and the Small Entrance connects both actions: the entry of the bishop (priest) into the temple and the bringing of the Gospel, which is taken from the Throne, carried out through the deacon’s gate and taken back through the Royal Gate.” The meaning of the Small Entrance is interpreted differently: according to the interpretations of some holy fathers, the Small Entrance symbolizes the Incarnation and the coming of the Savior into the world, according to others - the beginning of His public ministry and going out to preach. Once again during the liturgy, a procession of clergy passes through the Royal Doors, when the Cherubic Hymn is sung and the Cup of wine, which will become the Blood of Christ, and the paten with the Lamb, which will become the Body of Christ, are brought out. This procession was called the Great Entrance. “The very first explanation of the Great Entrance dates back to the turn of the 4th - 5th centuries,” explains Alexander Tkachenko. - Authors of this time say that the procession signifies the carrying of the deceased Body of Christ taken from the Cross and His position in the tomb. After the Eucharistic prayers are read and the Gifts become the Body of Christ, they will signify the Resurrection of Christ, Christ will rise in the Holy Gifts. In the Byzantine tradition, the Great Entrance received a different interpretation. It is revealed in the Cherubic song that accompanies the procession. She tells us that the Great Entrance is a meeting of Christ the King, who is accompanied by Bodyguard Angels. And the Royal Doors can be called that not only because in ancient times the emperor entered through them, but because now Christ enters through them as the King of Glory, who goes to die on the cross for the sins of people out of love for man.” Canon and creativity Architect Andrei Anisimov talks about the traditions of designing the Royal Doors and the task of the architect: “The Royal Doors are the gates of Paradise, the Kingdom of Heaven. This is what we proceed from when creating them. The Royal Doors must be placed strictly in the center, along the axis of the temple (behind them there should be a Throne, then a higher place). The Royal Doors are usually the most decorated part of the iconostasis. Decorations can be very different: carving, gilding; Grapevines and paradise animals were carved on baroque iconostases. There are the Royal Doors, on which all the icons are placed in temple frames, crowned with numerous domes, which symbolizes the Heavenly City of Jerusalem.” The Royal Doors, like a shrine, can move from one temple to another. “Sometimes you look, and the Royal Doors are not part of the general ensemble. Then it turns out that this is a gate from the 16th century; in Soviet times, grandmothers hid it before the closure or destruction of the temple, and now these gates are back in their place, and the iconostasis is new,” continues Andrei Anisimov. As a rule, the four evangelists and the Annunciation are depicted on the Royal Doors. But within these topics, options are possible. “Only the Annunciation can be depicted in full size,” explains the architect. - If the gate is small, instead of the evangelists their animal symbols can be placed: an eagle (the symbol of the Apostle John the Theologian), a calf (the Apostle Luke), a lion (the Apostle Mark), an angel (the Apostle Matthew). If in the temple, in addition to the main altar, there are two more chapels, then on the central Royal Doors they can depict the Annunciation and the Evangelists, and in the side chapels - on one gate the Annunciation, and on the other - Saints John Chrysostom and Basil the Great - the authors of the rites of the Divine Liturgy. An image of the Last Supper is most often placed above the gate, but there may be Christ giving communion to the apostles (“Eucharist”) or the Trinity. The iconography of the Royal Doors (Annunciation and Evangelists) shows us the path by which we can enter the Gates of Paradise - the path of salvation, which is opened by the Good News of the birth of the Savior and revealed in the Gospel. When designing the Royal Doors, the architect has room for creativity. The royal doors, like iconostases, can be wooden, stone, marble, porcelain, or iron. “For the industrialist Demidov, the cheapest material was iron - he made iconostases from iron. In Gzhel there are porcelain iconostases. In Greece, where there is a lot of stone, the altar barrier is made of stone. In the Greek iconostasis, the Royal Doors are low, chest-deep, and the opening between the gates and the arch is large. With the Royal Doors closed, but with the curtain pulled back, you can see the Throne, the high place, what is happening in the altar, you can hear everything well.” Why are the Royal Doors not always open? According to the charter, on Easter days - Bright Week - the Royal Doors are constantly open. This is a symbol of the fact that Christ, having suffered the death of the Cross, opened the entrance to Paradise for us. The altar symbolizes Paradise, and the rest of the temple symbolizes earth. Now you can hear calls: let's serve as in the ancient Church, with the Royal Doors open, what should we hide from the believers? “This call has nothing to do with the scientific study of ancient worship,” comments Alexander Tkachenko. - In ancient times, at the doors to the main part of the temple there were special servants called ostarii (door keepers). They made sure that only those who would receive communion were present at the liturgy, the rest (catechumens and penitents, those who did not have the right to receive communion) were removed from the church at the deacon’s exclamation of “the catechumens, come out” (those who are catechumens, come out from the temple). And that is why in ancient times the problem of closing the Royal Doors and the altar did not exist. Subsequently, when the order of the catechumens disappeared, and there were fewer communicants, the altar began to be closed from those in the temple, in order to avoid profaning the Sacrament.” The opening or closing of the Royal Doors shows the most important moments of the service. The words of the prayer that the priest says before entering through the Royal Doors into the altar at the end of the third antiphon also speak about reverence. It contains the words: “Blessed is the entrance of Thy saints.” According to one interpretation, the words of this prayer refer to the entrance to the Holy of Holies, since the altar part of the Christian temple symbolically correlates with the Holy of Holies of the Jerusalem Temple, where no one except the high priest had the right to enter. Therefore, when the priest says: “Blessed is the entrance of Your saints,” this means “blessed is the entrance into the Holy of Holies,” that is, the path to heaven opened to us, according to the Apostle Paul, by the Lord Jesus Christ (see: Heb. 9:7- 28). But can we say that we are always ready for the journey to heaven? And if we answer honestly, it turns out that the open altar and Easter joy are not within our capabilities all the time. Irina Redko Royal Doors Hegumen Theognost (Pushkov) Preface The Orthodox liturgy, being in its essence and its name a common cause and common service, has developed over the centuries and been supplemented by various rituals and external attributes. At the present stage, it is difficult to talk about Orthodox liturgy outside the architectural temple space. And modern liturgical theology must have the courage to evaluate our existing order of worship. Often we simply try post factum to justify the order that has arisen, without thinking about its theological value. A modern temple of the Orthodox Church is unthinkable without an altar barrier with its gates (side and central, “Royal”). But the altar barrier and its gates can function differently during worship. They can unite the people with the priesthood, or they can divide them. The liturgical life of the Church is an icon of its spiritual and moral state. Worship and prayer, like supersensitive photographic film, captures all the features - both positive and negative - of the spiritual appearance of a parish, a community, even entire dioceses and Local Churches. The Eucharist is the sacrament of all sacraments, but the sacrament requires a living, and not a formal and technical attitude. And when interest in the meaning and essence of the liturgy cools, random elements fall into its order that do not reflect its meaning, but only close it from full perception by the people. The liturgy itself ceases to be the living heart of the life of believers. That is, in a mysterious sense, it remains such in the heart, but this is not felt or realized by that mass of clergy and people who only “come” to the liturgy and “defend” it. The “Royal Doors” of the altar have become a “stumbling block” for many, especially the fact that only in the Russian Church their opening for the entire liturgy is the “highest church award.” The author of these lines proposes to look at the liturgy through the prism of patristic theology and try to comprehend in it the role of the altar barrier and its gates, as well as their use in other Orthodox Local Churches. Historical background The ancient Church, from the time of the apostles and during the long three centuries of persecution, celebrated the Eucharist not in specially built churches, but in the homes of believers, or even simply in the catacombs (in Rome these were underground cemeteries and communications). Nevertheless, archaeological research has shown that even there, in rather poor conditions, there was a special emphasis on the “altar,” that is, the place where spiritual sacrifice was performed. As a rule, it was a table standing on a small elevation (hence the Latin name altare - “elevation”). In buildings with an apse (concha), as a rule, this elevation was located in the apse, which was covered with a curtain during non-liturgical times. This was especially true for catacomb churches, and later for stone churches with apsidal architecture. That is, the sanctuary was highlighted and emphasized by all possible means. But at the same time, during a community meeting for joint worship, the sanctuary was revealed before the eyes of all the worshipers, who gathered around the altar Eucharistic meal like a family around a festive table. When the Church emerged from the catacombs and the Christian religion was legalized in the Empire, large temples began to appear, and the type of “temple architecture” gradually formed. But the appearance of an iconostasis with gates (central and side) was still a long way off. In the first centuries of “free existence,” two types of temple architecture emerged: apsidal (an elevation in a niche at the end of the temple) and basilica (an oblong rectangular room, a spacious hall, at the end of which there was a throne). Saint Epiphanius of Cyprus (IV century) mentions a curtain that hid the apse of the temple with the altar located there during non-liturgical times. But it was problematic to hang the altar in basilica-type churches (the width of the altar there corresponded to the width of the temple). Therefore, Chrysostom (“Conversations on the Epistle to the Ephesians”) mentions a “barrier,” which, according to him, before the start of the service is not opened, but “removed.” Apparently, initially it was something like a “portable picket fence”, a “movable lattice”, which was removed during the service and displayed only outside the service. However, the influx of popular masses presented the clergy with a new, purely practical (not at all theological) task: how to protect the altar from the random onslaught of a crowded mass of parishioners? This has become especially true on major holidays. This is how the first version of the “solid” (not portable) altar barrier arises. You won’t have to look for examples of such a barrier for long. It is enough to study the architecture of ancient temples located in large pilgrimage centers. Such centers, naturally, are Bethlehem and Jerusalem. According to Tarkhanova’s research1 on the architecture of the ancient Bethlehem Basilica and the ancient Church of the Resurrection of Christ, the barrier consisted of pillars placed around the altar (so-called “stasis”2 resting on the ceiling, which translated means “columns”), between which there were large “spans”. In the central “span” was the entrance to the altar, and between the remaining pillars there were installed bronze gratings (or plates), less than one and a half meters high from the ground. Such obstacles successfully coped with the task3. Over time, attempts arose to draw a symbolic parallel between the temple and the Mosaic “Tabernacle of the Covenant.” It is important to take into account that all these parallels always arose post factum of the introduction into use of one or another detail of the temple decor and never arose per factum, as a kind of speculative principle that temple builders should be guided by. First, for practical reasons, a form of interior decoration convenient for the temple appears, and then (and not immediately) “symbolic explanations” of this form appear. The architecture of the “Byzantine” temple goes back to the architecture of the Old Testament temple in Jerusalem, as well as to the prototype of the latter - the “Tabernacle of the Covenant”. In this matter, Tarkhanova’s research on the Old Testament prototypes of our iconostasis is truly invaluable for the Russian-speaking reader. Both late Byzantine exegetes-liturgists and modern researchers speak about this Old Testament root. However, Tarkhanova, having delved into the features of the prototype itself, comes to the conclusion: “The architecture of the (altar. - Ig. F.) barrier of early Christian times is the opposite of the Old Testament, borrowing from biblical descriptions only a factual and symbolic basis: instead of hiding the Holy of Holies of the temple , the barrier of the first churches, on the contrary, opens the altar and the liturgy taking place in it to all believers”4. This is how the iconostasis is born. A great expert on the Byzantine tradition, Father Robert Taft, says (like Tarkhanova) the following about Byzantine altars: “The altar barrier was made open: everything that happened inside was visible. Therefore... the altar (i.e. the throne) stood in front of the apse, and not in the apse itself. In the apse itself there was a throne (of the bishop) and a co-throne (of the presbyters).”5 And this situation existed for quite a long time. In the 8th century, Saint Herman of Constantinople composed his explanation of the Divine Liturgy, as well as the temple structure. Firstly, he only mentions the existence in his time of a pillar barrier and a “cosmite decorated with a Cross”6. “Cosmit” is a beam-crossbar above the pillars of the “iconostasis” (the “stasis” themselves, apparently, in this case did not rest against the ceiling, representing a kind of antique portico). Secondly, having described the sacred rites of the Divine anaphora, he addresses the readers with the words: “Having thus become eyewitnesses of the Divine Mysteries, ... let us glorify ... the Mystery of the Economy of our Salvation”7. That is, the saint explained the meaning of what the readers saw in his interpretation at each liturgy. But they could not have seen all this if there had been a blank iconostasis and the closed Royal Doors. He further explains why the priest bows in prayer. This is also an interpretation of that action, which for the saint’s contemporaries was visible, but incomprehensible, and therefore needed interpretation. “At least until the 11th century in Constantinople, the altar was not screened from human gaze, and the throne was not hidden behind a curtain, as frescoes and miniatures of that time show. The first mention of the closing of the gates of the altar barrier after the Great Entrance and the drawing of the veil is contained in the commentary on the liturgy of the mid-11th century by Nicholas of Andides Proteorius. The author calls this custom monastic.”8. A similar interpretation is given by the 12th century author Theodore, Bishop of Andida: “The closing of the doors and the lowering of the curtain (επάνω τούτων) from above them, as is usually done in monasteries, as well as the covering of the Divine Gifts with the so-called air, marks, I think, that night, in which the betrayal of the disciple took place, leading (Jesus) to Caiaphas, presenting Him to Anna and uttering false witness, then the abuse, strangulation and everything that happened then”9. From the quotation it is clear that drawing the curtain and closing the gate is a private monastic custom, and not a statutory provision. Moreover, this text itself is a quotation from an earlier work - a commentary on the liturgy of St. Herman of Constantinople, and expresses only the personal opinion (as indicated by the word “think”) of the author10. From the quote itself it is not clear where the gates and curtain were located: whether on the way from the vestibule to the temple, or on the way from the temple to the altar. And only Theodore of Andida himself adds on his own: “For at a time when the gates are closed and the curtain is lowered, the subdeacons, by decree of the divine fathers, tried to eliminate temptations and restrain those who, to the detriment of the weak, walk there indecently and irreverently and here, like the maids, they stand outside, in the space of the divine temple, as if in the courtyard of the altar”11. Below we will touch on this text when we analyze the theological side of the issue. But the iconostasis itself with two side and central Royal Doors already existed in the Church of Sophia of Constantinople, only it was not located at the entrance to the altar, but at the entrance to the temple from the vestibule (narthex). Here, for example, is how Archbishop Simeon of Thessaloniki describes the priest’s entry into the temple at the beginning of Matins (after the singing of the Midnight Office, which even now, according to the Book of Hours, should be performed in the narthex): “The midnight singing is over. The doors of the temple open (!), like heaven, and we enter into it... the abbot will pass through the Royal Doors, and the others - on the sides of him... The priest at the throne utters an exclamation”12. We see that, firstly, we are talking about entering the temple from the vestibule, and secondly, upon entering the temple, the priest suddenly finds himself at the throne, but it is not said that he passes through some other gate. Consequently, blessed Simeon did not know about any gates separating the temple from the altar13. At least, he does not say that in order to get into the altar, you still need to open some gates or enter some door. Likewise, in chapter 200, the same author, in the same book of interviews on the sacraments of the church, explaining the rite of installation of the patriarch, says that bishops enter the altar “from the side, and not from the middle.” And in the book “On the Temple” the same blessed Simeon of Thessalonica mentions only the curtain around the throne and certain “barriers” that separated the altar from the temple14. There, in the “Book of the Temple,” Simeon writes that after the placing of the Gifts on the throne at the liturgy, “the Royal Doors are closed, for not everyone should be able to see the Sacraments performed at the altar”15. At first it may seem that Simeon is contradicting himself. But this is not the case. The royal doors were between the temple and the vestibule (narthex). In the narthex stood the catechumens (who did not enter the temple with the faithful). And since the altar did not have blind gates, everything that was happening in the altar could be seen from the narethx. And when he says that “the Sacraments should not be visible to everyone,” he means those standing in the narthex (that is, the catechumens, as well as the excommunicated, the repentant and those possessed by unclean spirits). The closing of the Royal Doors of the temple made it impossible for those standing in the nartext to see what was happening in the altar. But this did not in the least prevent those standing in the temple from contemplating the service at the altar. But even if we agree that there are contradictions in the works of Simeon of Thessalonica, it is important to take into account that Simeon himself was strongly influenced by the pseudo-Areopagite corpus with its Monophysite opposition between the people and the priesthood. On the other hand, apparently, this pseudo-Areopagite theory has not yet been universally adopted by Orthodox churches, and therefore Simeon could speak more theoretically. Ivan Dmitrievsky quotes the words of another contemporary scholar who visited the Orthodox shrines of the East: “Vasily Grigorievich Barsky, in his journey to holy places, testifies to what he saw in Jerusalem, in Gethsemane, at the tomb of the Most Holy Theotokos, on Sinai - at the very site of the appearance of the Burning Bush , such temples in which there are neither royal, nor northern, nor southern doors. But in Jerusalem, the Altar is not separated from the temple by any barrier. For sacred rites there is only a throne. For details about this, see Barsky’s “Travel” on pp. 107 and 270.”16. It is important to take into account that, according to Kondakov, it was “in the holy places of Jerusalem, the Mount of Olives, Bethlehem... that the original forms of the altar, its barrier, and the altar took shape”17. Tarkhanova also notes the influence of the architecture of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and the ancient Temple of Bethlehem on the design of the altars of Byzantine churches18. Therefore, the testimonies of people who visited ancient temples in past centuries, until they were touched by the hand of “restorers”19, are especially significant for us. The question arises: what did Russian Christians do to deserve such a punishment - excommunication from contemplating the sacrament of the altar? And if Jerusalem and the Holy Sepulcher are the “Mother of Churches,” as we sing at Sunday services,20 then it should be a guide for us all. Otherwise, by trying to be holier than the Temple of Jerusalem itself, we may turn out to be boring Pharisees, and not at all bearers of holiness. Theology of liturgical space When we talk about liturgical space, the theology of this space cannot be “autonomous” from the theology of the Eucharistic liturgy itself. What exactly happens at the Eucharist? The most important thing is touching the Eternity of God. According to the wise expression of Archpriest A. Schmemann, the boundaries of time and space are overcome, and we enter God's eternity. During the service of the Liturgy, in addition to the consecration of the Gifts, there is also a spiritual movement forward, towards eternity, of the people participating in the priestly service. We can identify three main aspects of the liturgical action that directly relate to our topic: the entry into glory, the contemplation of glory, and the unity of the space of the temple and the altar. Entering into Glory The Divine services of the Orthodox Church often emphasize the idea that this service itself became possible only due to the fact that the Divine and human were united in Christ, heaven and earth were united, and the “mediastinal barrier” was destroyed. By being present at the liturgy, standing before the Face of God, we are present in heaven, before God, in His Mysterious and Glorious Kingdom. According to St. Maximus the Confessor, eternal realities, “future” blessings, “primitive sacraments” are communicated in the Church to the faithful “through sensory symbols.” And everything in worship has its own meaning - symbolic in the highest sense of the word (that is, organic, not allegorical symbolism)21. To understand the meaning of “entering the temple” as a sacred rite, it is necessary to turn to the “small entrance” of the liturgy22. In ancient Byzantine and Roman practice, the people gathered and waited for the priest in the temple, and when the priest entered the temple, the people greeted the entering priest by singing psalms or, more precisely, verses from the psalms, called “entrance verses” (Latin introit, Greek είσοδικόν) . That is why the prayer with which the service began was called “the prayer of the people’s assembly” or “the prayer of the people’s entry into the temple.” This prayer now stands at the beginning of the service in the rite of the Liturgy of the Apostle James, Bishop of Jerusalem23. The same prayer stood at the beginning of the liturgy of John Chrysostom in the first Greek codex that has reached us, i.e. in the Codex Barberini (8th century). This prayer was read in the middle of the temple24. This prayer in its meaning refers specifically to the “gathering of the faithful at the liturgy.” It is noteworthy that in the Barberini Codex there is no, firstly, that prayer of the “small entrance”, which is known from our current missals, and secondly, there is no mention at all that after the priest entered the temple there was another entrance to the altar as a special procession. We have to agree with Golubtsov’s opinion that in the ancient Byzantine rites the entire first part of the service before the exit of the catechumens was in the church, and there was an entrance to the altar along with the “brought” gifts for the Eucharist25. The Sophia of Constantinople, built by Emperor Justinian the Great, had a charter completely different from all of the above. The difference between the actual Byzantine rite of Hagia Sophia (and, perhaps, almost the only temple) was that in Rome (and in other places) the people gathered in the temple before the arrival of the priesthood, and waited for the priests in the temple. In the “Great Church” (Hagia Sophia) of Constantinople, everything was different. People gathered at the entrance to the temple in a special atrium (covered western gallery), which was specially built

Conclusion The Church is a living organism, not a soulless building. Any living organism is subject to suffering and metamorphosis. And the task of any living organism is to defeat diseases, “shake off the dust” and develop further. I would like to hope that the research conducted by the theological school will not “end up in a folder”, will not be covered with “age-old dust,” but will become a stimulus for real activity to transform our liturgical life. Now this topic is especially relevant, since without the full introduction of the believer into Orthodox worship, we risk losing this believer, if not for the Church as a whole, then for worship. Our people use all kinds of liturgical surrogates and apocryphal prayers due to the inaccessibility of worship to them. And catechesis alone cannot do this. Coming to church, a person (if he wants to become a member of the community, and not just came to “light a candle”) looks for his place in the worship service. But it turns out to be closed in front of him. At the end, the author offers readers a list of literature used in the preparation of this article and at the same time recommended for those who wish to more thoroughly study the issues raised in this brief study. Notes 1 See Tarkhanova S. Old Testament prototypes of the altar barrier of Byzantine churches // Alpha and Omega, No. 2 (52); 3 (53), 2008. 2 Later, these pillars began to be decorated on top with icons and carved decorations. Hence the name: “Iconostasis”. 3 This is also relevant in our churches: if barriers are not placed in cathedrals, then, for example, on Easter the people can simply “sweep away” the priesthood along with the throne. 4 Tarkhanova S. Old Testament prototypes... // Alpha and Omega, No. 2 (52), 2008. P. 306. 5 Taft R. Byzantine Church Rite. St. Petersburg, 2000. P. 79. 6 Herman of Constantinople, set. A legend about the Church and consideration of the Sacraments. M., 1995. Ch. 8. P. 47. 7 Ibid. Ch. 41. P. 81. 8 Nikolai Kim, priest. Note No. 8 to the Letters of Rev. Nikita Stifat // Rev. Nikita Stifat. About Paradise. St. Petersburg, 2005. 9 Theodore, Bishop of Andida. A brief discussion on the mysteries and images of the Divine Liturgy, compiled at the request of the God-loving Basil, Bishop of Thytia. Pech. According to the editor: Krasnoseltsev N. F. Explanation of the liturgy, compiled by Theodore, Bishop of Andida // Orthodox interlocutor. Kazan, 1884. Book. I. Ch. 21. 10 See: PG 98: 425-428. 11 Theodore, Bishop of Andida. Brief reasoning... Ch. 21. 12 Simeon of Thessalonica, blessed. Conversation about holy rites and church sacraments. Ch. 274. 13 Although in the 147th chapter of this work certain special “gates of the altar” are mentioned, here the openings in stasis with a small “wicket” can be called gates, as can now be found in Greek types of iconostasis. 14 Simeon of Thessalonica, blessed. Book about the Temple II Dmitrievsky 77. Historical, dogmatic and mysterious interpretation of the Divine Liturgy. M., 1884. P. 385. But the “sacred doors of the altar” are also mentioned there (Simeon of Thessalonica, blzh: Book about the Temple... P. 402), which were opened at the small entrance during the bishop’s service. However, we could assume - because there is no description of the iconostasis from the time of Simeon of Thessalonica, which means the same partitions up to the knee of a man of average height. 15 Simeon of Thessaloniki, blzh:. Book about the Temple... P. 410. 16 Ibid. P. 130. 17 Kondakov 77. 77. Archaeological journey through Syria and Palestine. St. Petersburg, 1904. P. 31. 18 Tarkhanova S. Old Testament prototypes... // Alpha and Omega, No. 2 (52), 2008. P. 306. 19 Many churches in the Holy Land had an architecture consistent with Barsky’s description. However, as soon as “zealots of piety” from the countries of the former USSR appeared in Palestine and Israel, who undertook to “bring the temples into the desired form” with their own money, the temple interior changed. In churches that, over the centuries of their existence, had never seen iconostases, “deaf” “Russian” iconostases with icons of dubious value (picturesque “paintings” from the Russian Baroque era) appeared. The author of these lines considers such “help” criminal when the beauty of the ancient diversity of temple architecture is destroyed. 20 See: Octoechos. Tone 8. Saturday. Great Vespers, stichera on “I cried to the Lord.” 21 Articles on the Orthodox theology of symbols: Schmemann A., prot. Sacrament and symbol // Orthodox community, No. 32. P. 39-52; Losev A. Dialectics of myth (corresponding section on symbol). M., 2002; Averintsev S.S. Symbol (encyclopedic article) // Bulletin of VSU, 1998. Pilipenko E. Patristic theology of the symbol // Alpha and Omega, No. 27. P. 328-349, No. 28. P. 310-333. 22 It is the small entrance that is the beginning of the Eucharistic entrance. The service began with the Small Entrance both in the East and in the West. In the “classical” version of the modern liturgy of the “Byzantine rite,” only the “entrance with the Gospel” remains, which consists of taking the Gospel out of the side (northern) door of the altar and then bringing it through the Royal Doors into the altar. This is a relict form of what was performed according to the ancient Rules of worship in Hagia Sophia of Constantinople. Actually, many studies and articles have already been written about the fact that the small entrance was the beginning of the Eucharistic service (See R. Taft. Byzantine Church... P. 34; Solovsh Meletsh, priest Divine Shturpya. Lv1v, 1999. P. 239-246) . “The service of God begins with a small entrance, that is, the entry of a bishop or presbyter into the sanctuary. The liturgy begins with the Small Entrance in the “Apostolic Constitutions”, in the “Pilgrimage of Silvia Eteria”, and in those descriptions of the service that St. left us in his homilies. John Chrysostom... The priest entered the temple, and at this time the choir sang the “entrance” hymn. After this, the priest gave “peace” to the people and entered the high seat for the holy meal. After this, the reading of the Holy Scriptures and the sermon began, prayer for the catechumens and their removal from the temple” (Solovsh Meletsh, Priest Divine Shturpya. P. 240). 23 To be more precise, the first prayer refers to the priest himself and is read on the threshold of the temple (in a whisper, without the participation of the people). The second prayer is an extended initial exclamation “Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit - the Trinity and the Unity Light...”, and it is immediately followed by the prayer for the people to enter the temple. 24 Here is its text: “Benefactor and Creator of every thing, accept Your converging Church, fill every lack, bring everyone into perfection and make us worthy of Your Kingdom through the grace and love of Your Only Begotten Son, with Whom You are blessed together with the Most Holy Spirit, now and in the future. at all times and forever and ever." This prayer is present at the beginning of the text of the liturgy of John Chrysostom in the Slavic service book of Anthony the Roman (according to modern scientific dating of the text, the document belongs to the beginning of the 14th century). See: Missal of Anthony the Roman. pp. 15, 30 (State Historical Museum, Sin. 605/342. Preparation of the text and commentary by Yu. Ruban); Goar. Eujcolovgion. P. 83; Swainson. The Greek Liturgies. P. 88; OrlovM. 77., prot. Liturgy of St. Basil the Great. St. Petersburg, 1909. P. 384. It is also present in the ancient Slavic rite of the liturgy of the Apostle Peter (a translation of the Latin Mass, which was strongly influenced by the Byzantine rite). For this text, see: P. Sirku. On the history of the collection of books in Bulgaria in the 14th century. St. Petersburg, 1890. T. I. (Issue II). pp. 221-222. In this rite, the first prayer refers to the entrance of the clergy into the temple, the second - to the proposal, and the third - to the entrance of the people into the temple (which, by the way, corresponds to the arrangement of prayers in the Liturgy of the Apostle James). This prayer is present (with minor variations) in all ancient Eucharistic codes. 25 See: Golubtsov A. 77. From readings... P. 91, 153-155. Which, by the way, explains why in the modern rite of the Liturgy of the Apostle James (published by Metropolitan Dionysius of Zakynthos), the prayer of “entering the veil” comes immediately after the bringing of the Gifts to the altar. Apparently, at this time the priest entered the altar with gifts. And if this is so, then it means that the existing rite of the Liturgy of the Apostle James is greatly “supplemented,” including the prayer of entering the altar before the “trisagion.” Moreover, the “prayer of the veil” and the “prayer of the small entrance” of the clergy to the altar actually duplicate each other, almost repeating each other word for word. 26 This is, in fact, purely biblical terminology. The Apostle Paul in his epistles very often calls believers “saints” - Rom. 1:7; 15:24,26,31; 16:2, 15. 1 Cor. 1:2. 2 Cor. 1:1, 9:1. Eph. 1:1, 15; 5:3. Phil. 1:1. Col. 1:2. 1 Thess. 5:27. Heb. 13:24. Acts 9:32. 27 Simeon of Thessalonica, blessed. Conversation about holy rites and Church Sacraments. Ch. 123. pp. 204-205. 28 Maxim the Confessor, Rev. Creations. V. 2 vols. T. 1. M., 1993. P. 179. 29 Surprisingly: lately there has been a lot of talk about the importance of “Palamist” theology for the correct organization of the spiritual life of not only monks, but also lay people involved in life in God, which is life in the glory of Christ, the contemplation of this glory. But at the same time, the liturgical, eucharistic aspect of this contemplation is completely ignored, to which we will try to pay at least a minimum of attention. 30 Liturgy of the Apostle James. P. 173. 31 In this regard, the modern “adapted” rite of the Liturgy of the Apostle James published by the Lesninsky Monastery is a striking example of liturgical illiteracy. On the one hand - ancient prayers, on the other - the modern position of the ritual. But prayers reveal the content of the ritual. Let us emphasize: the prayers of the Liturgy of Jacob reveal a completely different content of the ritual. 32 Maximus the Confessor, Rev. Mystagogy, XIII, cf. from XV // Creations. T. 1. P. 171, 172. 33 Ibid., VII. P. 167 34 Ibid., P. S. 159. 35 Sidorov A. Commentary No. 20 to “Mystagogy” by Rev. M. Confessor//Creations. T. 1. P. 302. 36 Dionysius the Areopagite (Pseudo). About the Church hierarchy. Ch. 3. 37 Nikolai Kavasila. Explanation of the Divine Liturgy. Ch. 36 38 Dmitrievsky I. Historical, dogmatic... P. 130. 39 Ibid. P. 79. 40 Theodore, Bishop of Andida. A brief discussion of the mysteries... Ch. 21. 41 This is also not entirely appropriate, because divides the single Table of Christ into parts, whereas at the Feast there is always only one table, one meal, one Cup of the Eucharist; those sitting observe subordination, but this is precisely one meal in the true sense of the word, and not “two tables” - one sitting for the priesthood, and another for the rest. This contradicts the very understanding of the Last Supper, at which, according to the liturgical texts of the Great Fourth, the Lord makes us His “companions.” A dining companion is the one who sits at the same table with you, and not the one for whom you set a separate table at home. Therefore, it is necessary to read one common prayer for communion (by the way, the Missal prescribes reading this prayer once - before the priest’s communion in the altar, apparently assuming that it will be read publicly) and “from the One Bread and Cup” to give communion to everyone, but alternately, maintaining subordination. Subordination is the arrangement of persons at the same table, recognizing each other's seniority. For example, the youngest member of the family may sit on the farthest corner of the table, but still there is one table, one meal, common prayer and common eating. 42 Veniamin (Fedchenkov), archbishop. Heaven on earth. M., 2003. P. 172. 43 In this case, we need to admit that St. himself. John of Kronstadt could also be wrong, and a careful consideration of his position on this issue does not find its justification - neither theological nor patristic. When speaking about loyalty to the saints, we must follow their path, but not repeat their mistakes. Great merit to Fr. John of Kronstadt is that he “moved forward” the Eucharistic problem in Russia, drew attention to it and became a preacher for the most frequent communion at every liturgy at which God has vouchsafed a Christian to attend. 44 For example, as in the Cathedral of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra in St. Petersburg. 45 The word “rubrics” comes from the Latin. ruber (red). These are statutory "commentaries", usually written in red text in the margins of ancient liturgical codes. 46 And how is it that our “zealots” do not pay attention to the widespread “violation” of this principle, when the gates to the litany of the catechumens are closed? “Great omission” to their “piety”? 47 Sof. bib. No. 567, l. 20 rev; in Odintsov p. 211. 48 Orlov M. I., prot. Liturgy of St. Basil the Great. pp. 37, 39,41. 49 Schmeman A., prot. On the question of liturgical practice (letter to my bishop), VI. 50 The author of these lines is sure that the first violation is much more criminal. Unfortunately, few people think of performing the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts at their own time - in the evening, in the afternoon, and, accordingly, Matins - in the morning (i.e., returning to the studio practice described in our Typikon in Chapter 7 as an alternative to the All-Night Vigil vigils where there is no real possibility of serving the service all night). But the “practice of the majority” consists of serving the “Vespers”, which we “manage” in 3-4 hours. But those who decide to return to statutory practice in this matter will immediately be called “modernists.” We “swallow” the camel, but we carefully strain out not even the mosquito, but the mosquito larva. 51 Skaballanovich M. Explanatory Typikon in 3 parts. Part I. Kyiv, 1910 (reprint. M. 1995). P. 490.