Ancient
Faith Radio to go!
Learn
about software that allows you to record Ancient Faith Radio and take it with
you! Click
HERE for details.
The
diagram to the left shows a schematic model of an iconostasis wall. The
idea of the Iconostasis originated in the Byzantine era. At first, an
iconostasis was just a small wall (threshold, fence), a symbolic marker
of the division between the Sanctuary and the Nave, that is, between the
heaven and the earth (the Divine and the human). This little wall was
not meant to prevent the faithful who came to worship in the Church from
seeing the Sanctuary. The Byzantines never envisioned the separation of
the sanctuary from the nave by such a "material" veil. They used a low
marble or wooden fence to display the icons of those saints who were
celebrated on a particular day to all believers. Since the placement and
removal of the icons from the top of this low wall turned into an
everyday chore, the icons were permanently installed on the wall. With
time, the iconostasis wall consisting of several tiers (rows) of icons
was developed. Around the fifteenth century, Russian iconostases reached
as many as five or six rows of icons. The first, original row, called
The Sovereign Row (Mestnyi Chin), had to include the icon of
Christ, placed to the right of the door (red rectangle). Sometimes,
instead of Christ, that icon showed the saint or the Biblical event to
which the church was dedicated. Another required representation in the
Sovereign Row was an icon of the Virgin, placed to the left of
the door (pink rectangle). The second row was usually either the
Festival (Liturgical Feasts) Row (Prazdnichnyi Chin),
presenting events related to the life of Christ and the Virgin, or the
Deesis (Deisusnyi Chin), often the
largest and most important row. The icons in the Deesis row had to
include at least three icons: Enthroned Christ in the middle, flanked on
his left (on the right from the viewer's point of view) by John the
Baptist, and on his right (on the left from the viewer's point of view)
by the Virgin. If there was space to include more icons in the row, they
were arranged in a particular order: Archangel Michael next to the
Virgin and Archangel Gabriel next to John the
Baptist, Peter next to Archangel Michael, and Paul next to Gabriel. In
very large iconostases the most celebrated Fathers of the Church as well
as most venerated saints could be placed in alternating order on each
side. The last two rows, the Prophets' Row (Prorocheskii Chin)
and the Patriarchs' Row (Praotecheskii Chin) were also
interchangeable. The access to the Sanctuary was gained through the
Holy (Beautiful, Royal) Door (Tsarskie Vrata), decorated with
the images of the four Evangelists or the Church Fathers. The rounded
top of the door was often a favorite place to depict The Annunciation,
while the space above the door could be occupied by a representation of
The Last Supper. [S.C. and A.B.]
St. Nicholas Orthodox
401 Lewis Avenue Billings, MT
59101
Parish Priest: Father John Mancantelli Office: 1717 Lewis Ave.
59102
Phone: [406] 254-1194
Contact Father
John Mancantelli
The
diagram to the left shows a schematic model of an iconostasis wall. The
idea of the Iconostasis originated in the Byzantine era. At first, an
iconostasis was just a small wall (threshold, fence), a symbolic marker
of the division between the Sanctuary and the Nave, that is, between the
heaven and the earth (the Divine and the human). This little wall was
not meant to prevent the faithful who came to worship in the Church from
seeing the Sanctuary. The Byzantines never envisioned the separation of
the sanctuary from the nave by such a "material" veil. They used a low
marble or wooden fence to display the icons of those saints who were
celebrated on a particular day to all believers. Since the placement and
removal of the icons from the top of this low wall turned into an
everyday chore, the icons were permanently installed on the wall. With
time, the iconostasis wall consisting of several tiers (rows) of icons
was developed. Around the fifteenth century, Russian iconostases reached
as many as five or six rows of icons. The first, original row, called
The Sovereign Row (Mestnyi Chin), had to include the icon of
Christ, placed to the right of the door (red rectangle). Sometimes,
instead of Christ, that icon showed the saint or the Biblical event to
which the church was dedicated. Another required representation in the
Sovereign Row was an icon of the Virgin, placed to the left of
the door (pink rectangle). The second row was usually either the
Festival (Liturgical Feasts) Row (Prazdnichnyi Chin),
presenting events related to the life of Christ and the Virgin, or the
