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Most people mainly Christian holiday thinks it's Christmas, but it's actually Easter. The essence of the great day is symbolically narrated in the icon “The Resurrection of Christ.” The main doctrine of Christians has been depicted in the form of frescoes and paintings since ancient times. Orthodox icon painting, after centuries of development, adopted the main points from the Byzantine school. There are also Western versions of images of the main event human history, but they all tell the same story.

Why are there few icons of the Resurrection in Orthodoxy?

It may seem strange that during the brightest holiday, icons that are incomprehensible in composition and outwardly dissimilar to each other are brought to the center of the temple. This requires a very deep understanding of the theme of the Resurrection. In fact orthodox icons capture and convey the essence.

Give short description the icon “Resurrection of Christ” will not work. If only because today there are 2 traditional type such images.

• Descent into hell.
• Sunday with holidays.

In both cases, the composition of the image is quite complex. Paradoxically, there are many characters in it. Although only one God-man was resurrected, this affected every one of those who knew Him then and everyone who lives on earth. It is not for nothing that even our chronology begins with the Nativity of Christ. What is the name of the last day of the week? Indeed, reminders of that Sunday afternoon accompany people throughout their lives.

In the first centuries of Christianity, iconography experienced some difficulties: after all, the Gospels do not contain a description of the very moment of the resurrection. But symbolic images have been found since ancient times - at first, artists painted Jonah in the belly of a huge whale on murals.

Ancient icons of the Resurrection of Christ depicted the Gospel events in different ways. For example, there are 2 warriors standing near the tomb, one of whom is sleeping. Either an angel appeared to the women, or the already risen Christ appears before Mary Magdalene. However, such stories did not reflect the full theological meaning of Easter. Therefore, the “Descent into Hell” type appears, which today is often found on icons of the “Resurrection of Christ”. Highlights of the composition:

• Christ holds the hands of the first people (they symbolize everyone who was in hell up to this moment) - Adam and Eve are preparing to leave the vale of sorrow.

• The Son of God, in search of man, descends to the lowest point of the universe, from where only one path is possible - upward, to Heaven.

• Under the feet of the Savior are the broken gates of hell.

Christ is wearing white (sometimes red) clothes; this is the Lord’s color in the Church. White vestments are required for all holidays associated with Christ - except Easter. Adam and Eve stretch out their hands to Him as to the most long-awaited guest. The Old Testament righteous are usually depicted on the side. Sometimes they draw below defeated demons. Mountains are visible in the background, and a hellish abyss is also blackened.

The first images of this type date back to the 10th century. - for example, on Athos. It is believed that the basis of the plot was the apocryphal “Gospel of Nicodemus”. Its text was known in Rus' in the translation of St. Macaria. However, there are numerous references to the descent into hell in the prophetic books, in the Psalms, and in the Apostle Paul.

Other Easter stories

There is another type of icon of the Resurrection of Christ: the Savior is depicted emerging from the tomb. Behind him you can see the open entrance to the cave (the Jews buried their dead there). Two angels sit at the feet of Christ, their heads bowed respectfully, their hands in prayerful gestures. Sometimes guards overcome by horror are included in the composition; myrrh-bearing women are depicted to the side, overshadowed by night Shadow. Right hand Christ points to the sky, in his left he holds a banner.

Although this plot captivates with its obviousness and ease of understanding, an attentive viewer will find some contradictions here.

• It is unlikely that Roman soldiers could sleep - serving in the army was a privilege, not a universal duty; Severe discipline punished such behavior during the performance of duty with death.

• Angels were inside the coffin.

• To leave the cave, Christ did not have to roll away the stone, since his heavenly nature was already fully manifested.

Despite these shortcomings, the image is in circulation among believers. In general, it quite adequately reflects the feeling of joy that a person experiences when hearing the Easter greeting.

The plot of the meeting of the risen Christ with Mary Magdalene correlates perfectly with the gospel narratives. The main point here is Christ's prohibition of touching himself, as indicated by his distant posture and his hand raised in a warning gesture. This scene is also reflected in religious paintings.

More consistent eastern tradition icon of the Resurrection of Christ with holidays. In the center is depicted either a simplified composition in the Western style (the Savior surrounded by angels), or a complex plot telling about the descent into hell and ascension. Sometimes this is a plot from the Apocalypse, which seems to complete world history. Around central composition stamps (smaller icons) are located.

The content of each mark is an independent icon, the number varies, often there are 12 of them - according to the number of main ones church holidays. But the images on the stamps do not necessarily correspond to the twelve holidays. There may be the betrayal of Judas, the assurance of Thomas, last supper, the appearance of Christ to the disciples, etc. You can choose such an icon based on your personal preferences.

The meaning of the holiday is the meaning of all Christian life

Each icon reflects the essence of a certain holiday, or reminds of the feat of a certain saint. The meaning of the icon of the Resurrection of Christ is to show not only the fact that Christ conquered death. For every true believer it is beyond doubt. No, the image is not at all trying to convince those who are skeptical. The event has already taken place here. The resurrected son of the carpenter is presented not only as the redeemer of original sin, but also as the One who Himself resurrects.

Needless to say that Easter is the central event not only of Christianity, but also of every specific human destiny? Could a person live in peace if he knew that best friend died for him? But here we are not just talking about a person - about God, who descended from heaven to give eternal life to everyone without exception.

Why was the moment of the Resurrection itself not depicted? The Holy Fathers considered this sacrament so great that the image could only diminish it. Icon painting had to not only show the risen Christ, but also connect this event with the salvation of the human race, which is the main task of this type of art.

The saints were in hell because the path to heaven was closed. Sin broke the connection between God and his creation, and this is why Christ came - to restore the lost harmony of the Heavenly Father and His prodigal children.

Famous churches in the name of the Resurrection of Christ

Home prayer is an important part of spiritual life, but a person needs living communication with those who have the same hope as himself. A visit to the temple provides an opportunity to participate in general church prayer and become familiar with shrines that have cultural and spiritual value.

The Church of the Resurrection of Christ in Sokolniki is famous for its rare collection of icons that were transferred here from other communities during times of persecution. The most famous is Iverskaya - a miraculous copy of the Athos image. The rich salary was made from donations from grateful parishioners who received answers to their prayers. The small ark located on the icon contains part of the veil from the Holy Sepulcher.

The church was built at the beginning of the 19th century. Construction was accompanied interesting story. One merchant wanted to donate funds to the temple. In a dream, he saw the apostles Paul and Peter, who showed him where to take the money. The next day, the man came to the rector of the Resurrection Church. He just needed funds to pay the workers.

• The oak icon cases made in the Byzantine style are especially beautiful.

• The orientation of the temple altar is unusual - it is directed south, towards the Holy Sepulcher.

• During the construction of the temple, there was a constant shortage of funds. One day, the abbot sheltered an elderly wanderer, who the next morning left a significant amount in his cell. Since then St. Nicholas is one of the most revered temple saints.

The main shrine of everything Christendom is the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. It was erected above the places where all the most important events took place. Holy Week. This was the very first Christian temple in history, built by Emperor Constantine. Before he accepted new faith, followers of Christ were everywhere subjected to persecution, torture and death. In some countries this still happens to this day.

How to pray at the Icon of the Resurrection

The central event of Christ's ministry is worthy of special prayerful veneration on the part of believers. Everyone who has ever been to a service remembers the Sunday hymn “Having seen the Resurrection of Christ...” It would be very appropriate to sing it at home.

The icon “The Resurrection of Christ” helps to remember the main goal of a person’s life - he must become like Christ in everything. Open your heart to Him, accept those changes that are inevitable for the soul to be transformed. And after it, life will change. She can be joyful regardless of her level of income. To do this, you need to fill your heart with love. There is only one way for this - through prayer. First of all, it must be permanent.

The main prayers of every Christian are the “Our Father”, the Creed, and the prayer to the Holy Spirit. We must regularly turn to the Psalter, where King David collected songs for all occasions. All of them can be read in front of the image of Christ, because through Him the entire Holy Trinity is revealed to us. Lord in Holy Scripture promised to fulfill any requests of a person that will be heard in the name of Jesus.

You should not try to abuse this promise by trying to get all earthly goods. The Lord is not stupid, he established the laws of life so that people would use them for the benefit of others, and not for harm. You can ask for spiritual gifts, help in work, difficult situations, about the health of loved ones, raising children.

Prayer before the icon “The Resurrection of Christ”

Sunday Hymn: Having seen the Resurrection of Christ, let us worship the holy Lord Jesus, the only sinless one. We worship Your Cross, O Christ, and we sing and glorify Your holy resurrection: for You are our God, do we know no other to You, your name we call it. Come, all faithful, let us worship the holy resurrection of Christ: behold, joy has come through the Cross to the whole world. Always blessing the Lord, we sing of His resurrection: having endured crucifixion, destroy death through death.

Holy Easter Prayer:

O Most Sacred and Greatest Light of Christ, Who shone forth more than the sun throughout the whole world in Your Resurrection! In this bright and glorious and saving laziness of Holy Pascha, all the angels in heaven rejoice and every creature rejoices and rejoices on earth and every breath glorifies Thee, its Creator. Today the gates of heaven have opened, and I, having died, have been freed into hell by Your descent. Now everything is filled with light, the heavens are the earth and the underworld. May Your light come into our dark souls and hearts and may it enlighten our present night of sin, and may we also shine with the light of truth and purity in the bright days of Your Resurrection, like a new creation about You. And thus, enlightened by You, we will go forth in luminosity at the meeting of You, who comes to You from the tomb, like the Bridegroom. And as Thou didst rejoice on this bright day by Thy appearance of the holy virgins who came from the world to Thy grave in the morning, so now enlighten the deep night of our passions and dawn upon us the morning of passionlessness and purity, so that we may see Thee with our hearts, redder than the sun of our Bridegroom, and may we hear once again Your longed-for voice: Rejoice! And having thus tasted the Divine joys of the Holy Pascha while still here on earth, may we be partakers of Your eternal and great Pascha in heaven in the unevening days of Your Kingdom, where there will be unspeakable joy and those celebrating the unceasing voice and ineffable sweetness of those who behold Your ineffable kindness. For You are the True Light, enlightening and illuminating all things, Christ our God, and glory befits You forever and ever. Amen.

The main tenet of the Christian faith is the doctrine of the resurrection of Christ the Savior on the third day after death on the cross. Easter is considered the central celebration of the annual liturgical circle. An invariable attribute of any event glorified by the church is its picturesque image. Thanks to the capabilities of printing production, the icon of the “Resurrection of Christ” is one of the most widespread today. However, the emergence of the now popular image was associated with centuries-old history hymnography and dogmatic creativity of the Church Fathers. The difficulty of forming a pictorial plot lies not only in the saturation of the composition with numerous figures, but also in the fact that the evangelists do not have descriptions of this event. It cannot be otherwise: the disciples-apostles were not present at this, and the miracle itself is incomprehensible to the human mind. The image of the Resurrection is considered indescribable, so paintings depict events directly related to it. In the rite of the Liturgy of John Chrysostom there are these words: “in the grave with the flesh, in hell with the soul like God, in paradise with the thief.” The text describes to some extent the events leading up to the resurrection. Apocryphal writings also left their mark.

The pictorial images of the first three centuries were allegorical and symbolic. The emerging church art was marked by severe persecution by the pagans. Under these conditions, shrines had to be carefully protected from desecration. Major Event the Christian church was depicted in the form of Old Testament prototypes. The most common image was of the prophet Jonah in the belly of Leviathan. Just as Jonah was in the belly of a whale for three days and then spewed out White light, and Christ was in the tomb for three days and then resurrected. This event is glorified in Easter hymns.

Iconographic types

The very moment of the resurrection of the flesh is impossible to depict because human consciousness unable to even conceptually imagine this process, much less express it graphically. In Christian iconography, there are a limited number of storylines that embody the grandeur of the event for believers. The image of classical orthodox origin is not called the icon of the “Resurrection of Christ,” but the “Descent of Christ the Savior into Hell.” Western tradition introduced into liturgical use two more common today, more understandable to the consciousness of the average person: picturesque images: “The Risen Christ at the Tomb” and “The Appearance of the Risen Savior to the Myrrh-Bearing Women.” There are variations on these basic themes, for example, the icon “The Resurrection of Christ with the Feasts”.

Unique fact

Every action in the church must be consistent with the rules and justified dogmatically. Modern theologians compare church teaching to a turtle that has a strong shell for protection. This armor was developed in the fight against many heresies and false teachings over many centuries. Activities in the field of art are also strictly regulated. On an icon, every brush stroke must be justified. But the icon of the “Resurrection of Christ” is based on not entirely canonical sources of information. Namely, on the texts of a 5th century source, the so-called Gospel of Nicodemus, rejected by the canonical thought of the church.

Icon "Resurrection of Christ". Meaning

The picturesque image tells about great and incomprehensible events. It is the Gospel of Nicodemus that is, perhaps, the only ancient handwritten source that tells about what happened to Christ from the moment of burial to his rise from the grave. This apocrypha describes in some detail the dialogue between the devil and the underworld and the subsequent events. Hell, anticipating its collapse, orders the unclean spirits to tightly “lock the copper gates and the iron bars.” But the Heavenly King destroys the gates, binds Satan and delivers him into the power of hell, commanding him to be kept in chains until the second coming. After this, Christ calls all the righteous to follow Him. As centuries passed, dogmatists transformed non-canonical texts into orthodox teaching. The Creator has no measurement of time; every person who lived before the preaching of Christ, His contemporaries and us living today is valuable to Him. The Savior, descending into the underworld, brought everyone who wanted it out of hell. But those living today must make their choice themselves. The icon shows the omnipotence of the Creator, who freed the captives of the underworld. And over time, He will appear in order to carry out judgment and finally determine the measure of punishment for evil and the eternal reward for the righteous.

Serbian fresco

In the men's monastery Milesheva (Serbia) there is ancient temple Ascension of the 13th century. One of the images of the medieval wall painting ensemble is the icon of the Resurrection of Christ. The fresco depicts an angel in shining robes, which corresponds to the description of these events by the Evangelist Matthew. The heavenly messenger sits on a stone rolled away from the cave door. Near the coffin lie the burial shrouds of the Savior. Next to the angel are women who brought vessels of peace to the coffin. This version was not particularly widespread among Orthodox icon painters, but Western realistic painting readily uses it. It is interesting that in this case the event is depicted without its main participant - Christ.

The oldest canonical image

In 1081, a church was built on the outskirts of Constantinople. Based on its location, it received the name Cathedral of Christ the Savior in the Fields. In Greek, “in the fields” is ?ν τ? Χ?ρ? (en ti hora). Thus, the temple and the monastery built later are called “Chora” to this day. At the beginning of the 16th century, a new mosaic covering of the interior was installed in the temple. Among those that have survived to this day is the icon “The Resurrection of Christ, the Descent into Hell.” The composition depicts the Savior standing on the ripped-off gates of hell. Christ is surrounded by an almond-shaped halo. He holds the hands of Adam and Eve rising from their graves. Behind the ancestors of the human race are the righteous people of the Old Testament. This version is most widespread in iconography.

What is depicted on the icon?

The image represents the dogma of the church, expressed in pictorial form. According to church teaching, heaven was closed to the righteous until the moment of the Savior’s death on the cross and His glorious resurrection. The composition of the icon includes images of the most famous saints of the pre-Christ era of mankind. The Savior stands on the cross-shaped gates of hell. tools and extracted nails are sometimes depicted next to them. Adam and Eve, as a rule, are located on opposite sides of Christ. Behind the foremother stand Abel, Moses and Aaron. On the left behind Adam are John the Baptist, kings David and Solomon. The figures of Adam and Eve can be located on one side of Christ. The lower part of the composition may depict the underworld with angels oppressing unclean spirits.

Icon "Resurrection of Christ". Description

The image, which is of Western origin, is not a symbolic composition, but a pictorial representation of gospel events. As a rule, an open cave-coffin is depicted, an angel sits on a stone or is located next to a sarcophagus, in the lower part of the composition there are defeated Roman soldiers and, of course, Christ in shining robes with a sign of victory over death in his hands. A red cross is placed on the banner. The arms and legs depict wounds from nails driven into the flesh during crucifixion. Although the icon of the “Resurrection of Christ” was borrowed in the 17th century from the Catholic realistic tradition, clothed in orthodox canonical forms, it is quite popular among believers. It does not require any theological interpretation.

Holidays holiday

The Holy Resurrection of Christ is considered by the church charter not just a holiday, but a special celebration, the glorification of which continues for forty days. Moreover, the celebration of Easter itself lasts seven days as one day. This exalted attitude of believers towards the Savior’s rise from the tomb was also reflected in church art. The original line of development of the pictorial tradition is the icon “The Resurrection of Christ, the Descent into Hell with the Twelve Feasts.” This image contains in the center an image of the main event in the life of the church, and along the perimeter in the stamps there are plots of the twelve most important holidays associated with earthly life Christ and the Virgin Mary. Among such shrines there are also very unique specimens. The events of Passion Week are also depicted. In practice, the icon “The Resurrection of Christ with the Twelve Feasts” is summary evangelical events and the annual cycle of services. In event images, the descent into hell is depicted in many details. The composition includes figures of the righteous, a whole string of whom Christ leads from the underworld.

Icon on the lectern

In the center of the temple there is a cabinet with an inclined board, called a lectern. It is believed to be an image of a saint or a holiday to which the service on that day is dedicated. The icon of the “Resurrection of Christ” is placed on the analogue most often: during the forty days of Easter celebrations and at the end of each week. After all, the name of the weekend is of Christian origin; the last day of the week is dedicated to the glorification of Christ’s victory over death.

The most outstanding churches in honor of the Resurrection

One of the grandest churches in Russia is the Resurrection Cathedral of the New Jerusalem Monastery, built in 1694. With this building, Patriarch Nikon wanted to reproduce the Church of the Resurrection in the Holy City and emphasize the dominant position of the Russian Church in the Orthodox world. For this purpose, drawings and a model of the Jerusalem shrine were delivered to Moscow. Another, although smaller in scale, but not inferior in monumentality, is the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood in St. Petersburg.

Construction began in 1883 in memory of the assassination attempt on Emperor Alexander II. The uniqueness of this cathedral is that the interior decor is made of mosaics. The mosaic collection is one of the largest in Europe. It is unique in its quality of execution. In the clear sunny days iridescent multi-colored tiles create a unique feeling of celebration and involvement in spiritual world. In the temple itself there is an amazingly beautiful image. Outside, above one of the entrance portals, there is also an icon of the Resurrection of Christ. The photo, of course, cannot convey the fullness of the sensations, but it creates a complete idea of ​​the splendor of the decoration.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is often called the cornerstone of Orthodoxy and all Christianity in general. This event reflected in the main holiday of all believers - Easter. It is always celebrated on a grand scale and is considered the most important day for any person who considers himself a Christian. It is not surprising that this event found numerous reflections in iconography. The icon of the “Resurrection of Christ” is considered one of the most revered and widespread in our time, but even in ancient times, painters tried to embody this plot more than once in their works. Interestingly, this icon has several completely different variations. Moreover, each of them is perceived by the Church as true and not contrary to the canons. Today you will learn about the meaning of the “Resurrection of Christ” icon, what this image helps with and how similar icons appeared.

Complexity of the image

The image of the Resurrection of Christ is one of the most complex. This is due to the fact that the event itself had no real witnesses, and all ideas about it were taken from written sources, containing fragmentary information about how Christ appeared to women and his disciples. It is noteworthy that the painters themselves considered the images reflected on the icon of the Resurrection of Christ to be indescribable. After all human mind cannot fully comprehend what a miracle the Lord performed by resurrecting His Son. And it is even more impossible to depict in detail exactly how the mortified flesh came to life and what happened at that moment with Christ.

It is interesting that any of the famous icons of the “Bright Resurrection of Christ” is distinguished by its richness of characters. One canvas depicts numerous figures that are closely associated with the Resurrection of Christ and subsequent events. Often the authors placed them in different plots next to each other. And sometimes they had registers, which allowed believers to piece together a whole story filled with deep meaning.

As Christianity developed and strengthened, the images on the icons of the “Resurrection of Christ” also changed. Modern execution This plot differs significantly from the very first icons that appeared at the dawn of the formation of the religious movement. In the following sections of the article we will look at the process of emergence various variations on the theme of the Resurrection of Christ, as well as types of icons that the Church classifies as classic.

Iconographic types

It is difficult to even imagine how complex the images of the Resurrection of Christ were formed by the holy fathers. After all, they were faced with a very difficult task - to convey the meaning of a great event that no one saw with their own eyes. Therefore, over time, the scenes depicted on the icons began to acquire a certain limited character. Gradually formed church canon, from which all subsequent painters started.

It is interesting that such a widespread icon of the “Resurrection of Christ” is not at all a classic one. The story of the Savior's descent into hell is considered more traditional. The fact is that until the moment of the miraculous Resurrection of Jesus, the gates of heaven were closed to souls. And only when Christ descended into the underworld to raise the souls of the righteous and preachers from the graves were believers able to receive eternal life. This particular story is considered classic, like all icons with a similar plot. It is worth noting that when we talk about canons, we mean exactly Orthodox traditions. But the Western church has made its own adjustments to the storyline about the Resurrection of Christ.

The Western holy fathers preferred to create icons depicting the Savior at the tomb or appearing to the myrrh-bearing women. There are numerous variations on these subjects; one of the most famous is the icon “The Resurrection of Christ with the Holidays.”

It is noteworthy that according to the laws of Christianity, every action must be clearly regulated and confirmed by dogmas. This protects the church from any heresy and false teaching. Behind long years During its existence, the Christian religion was not only subjected to numerous persecutions, but also experienced attacks from new teachings that positioned themselves as the only true ones.

A serious dogmatic approach is also reflected in church art. On the icons each the smallest detail should not go beyond accepted standards and dogmatic teachings. But the icon “The Resurrection of Christ” absolutely does not correspond to the rules formed over centuries. It is not based on canonical sources of information, which puts it in the category of unique paintings.

It is noteworthy that everything depicted in the icon we are describing is based on the Gospel of Nicodemus. This source of information dates back to the fifth century AD and describes in great detail all the events that occurred since the Resurrection of Christ, including his descent into hell. However, the canonical church completely rejects this source, which, however, does not prevent icon painters from relying on it in their works.

Icon “Resurrection of Christ”: meaning

The significance of this icon is difficult to overestimate; it can be considered fundamental in Christianity. After all, it is she who tells believers about events that are confirmation of eternal life. In his gospel, Nicodemus described how, having risen from the tomb, Christ descended into the underworld to take the souls of people with him. He crushed the gates that the unclean spirits had locked, fearing the loss of those who languished within these dark confines.

For the Savior, it did not matter what a person did during his lifetime. He took with him everyone who wanted to leave. This shows the power of the Creator and his mercy towards the souls of people. And also reminds modern people that we still make our own choices and determine where we will go after death. After all, the Savior died so that every soul could receive the gift eternal life. And at the appointed time, he will come to earth again and determine the measure of punishment or reward for all those who have died and are now living.

This is why the holy fathers consider it so important to show the Resurrection of Christ, because this is the most striking victory of life over death and good over evil.

Prayer before the icon

How does the icon of the Resurrection of Christ help? This question is often asked by Orthodox Christians who plan to purchase this image for their home iconostasis. It is believed that believers will definitely receive an answer to any sincere prayer said near this icon. After all, when praying, a Christian turns almost directly to God through His Son. In this case, any prayer reaches the Creator much faster, because the one asking asks in His name.

The icon especially helps those who want to get rid of sins and ask for strength in order to take the right path. Christ will never refuse such a request and will lead the person after Him, handing him priceless gift eternal life. Therefore, any Orthodox Christian tries to decorate his home with the icon of the Resurrection of Christ in order to receive protection and blessing.

First images

In the first three centuries, when there was persecution of Christians, most icons on the theme of the Resurrection of Christ were a little allegorical. This was due to the emergence of church art and numerous concerns of believers. The icon painters of that time took texts from Old Testament where it was told about the prophet Jonah, who spent three days in the belly of a whale and was torn out from there by the will of the Creator. Many theologians have argued and continue to argue that this plot was a kind of prehistory of the Resurrection of Christ. After all, he spent three days in the tomb and only after that he appeared again to the apostles, as he had previously predicted.

By the fourth century church painting The image of Jesus Christ begins to be traced. He gradually replaces Jonah, and the plot becomes more action-packed. In it you can already see real illustrations of the Gospel texts.

Byzantine Orthodox art

In the fifth century, a significant change was planned in icon painting on the theme of the Resurrection of Christ. Byzantine masters made a significant contribution to this process. For the first time, they began to depict on icons not only Christ himself, but also other characters, forming a real storyline in one work. The apostles, the myrrh-bearing women and Jesus himself, rising from the tomb, were painted on a single canvas.

One of the icons, dating back to the fifth century, depicts not only Christ himself, but also the place where he was buried. The Holy Sepulcher and the rotunda built on this site by Constantine the Great are depicted here in detail.

Works of tenth century icon painters

From this period, many painters depicting scenes of the Resurrection of Christ began to focus the attention of believers on the descent of the Creator into hell and the withdrawal of all willing souls from there. Theologians connect this with the spread of the texts of Nicodemus, which we mentioned earlier.

However, the icons themselves are not yet distinguished by the abundance of details. The storyline is very clear and does not deviate from the main narrative. Also, believers are not distracted by additional characters, whom they tried not to bring to the fore.

Icons: fourteenth to nineteenth centuries

During this time period story line becomes as complicated as possible, and the number of characters depicted on the icon increases. Christ is surrounded by angels in many of his works; they are a symbol of virtue. According to the painters' idea, they strike the sinful principle in the form of demons and demons with spears. The Savior first leads Adam and Eve out of hell, and already behind them a crowd of other souls is visible who want to leave the underworld. In the description of the fourteenth-century icon of the Resurrection of Christ, which is considered a classic, one can add an image of a cross. It becomes a symbol of eternal life and victory over evil in any of its manifestations. It is interesting that a similar icon is kept in the Tretyakov Gallery.

We can say that the works of this period fulfill the main task facing the icons, telling about the triumph of light over darkness. Such striking works include the icon “The Resurrection of Christ” by Rublev. It dates back to the fifteenth century, and it fully complies with all the canons adopted at that time. on her close-up depicts how the Savior leads the first people out of hell and opens the gates for other souls.

The formation of the iconography of the Resurrection of Christ

We can say that by the seventeenth century, icon painters had decided on the canons corresponding to this subject. By the nineteenth century, icons became a kind of illustration of the righteous life of a Christian. A rule that he must adhere to with all his might.

From now on, the semantic component similar works remained virtually unchanged. Some additions were made to the composition, which only became more complicated in the future. A certain contribution to this was made Western masters, who presented scenes in which Christ hovers over the tomb, surrounded by a white cloth.

The difference between Orthodox and Western images

Ever since Byzantine culture Certain canons began to form, which Orthodox painters strictly adhered to. In their execution, the icon of the Resurrection of Christ appeared in its traditional form. The Savior is depicted in the center of the canvas, standing on the broken gates of hell. At his feet on both sides are the coffins of Adam and Eve. From them he raises by the hands the ancestors of all people on earth. Behind him are the righteous, among whom you can recognize King Solomon, Moses, John the Baptist and other personalities. At the very bottom of the icon, the underworld with all its horrors is often depicted in a few strokes.

The classic Western look looks completely different. It is not symbolic, but more accurate display ancient events. In the icon, Christ is depicted near his tomb, surrounded by angels. The Savior is dressed in shining white clothes, and in his hands is a blinding banner, symbolizing the triumph of light and goodness.

Church in Sokolniki

There are about five hundred churches in Russia, named after the most important event in Christianity. One of the most unusual is the church in Sokolniki. It was built at the beginning of the twentieth century, and the project itself, based on the traditions of Russian architecture, has a clear reference to Art Nouveau.

The temple has nine domes and three porches, decorated with exquisite carvings and arches. The structure is distinguished by a certain fragility that has become its distinctive feature. The icons in the Church of the Resurrection of Christ in Sokolniki are considered real Orthodox shrines. Their names are dear to everyone's heart Orthodox man: icon of St. Panteleimon, icon of the Passionate Mother of God, substitute icon of the Bogolyubskaya Mother of God.