Icon in the house. Recommendations for arranging a home iconostasis

Home iconostases are a kind of small church for the believer Orthodox Christian. They should be given a special place in their dwelling where they can calmly pray in front of the images.

Home iconostases appeared in Ancient Russia. For them, a whole corner was assigned, which was called red (i.e. beautiful). Icons were placed in this place, candles and lamps were lit. In the morning and evening, as well as during hours of special spiritual need, the household members said their prayers here.

The iconostasis of those times was a multi-tiered shelf on which the god was hung - a small curtain that covered the images of the saints and the Savior on the sides. The icons were hidden under the gospel - a special cloth, which was pulled back only during prayer. This tradition appeared in Russia not by chance. It is known that the first image of the Savior would have been created by Himself, according to His will of God: after Jesus sprinkled his face with water and wiped it with a robe (cloth), His face remained on this canvas. He sent this canvas to the ailing ruler of Asia Minor - Avgar, thanks to which he was healed. After that, the prince gave the order to nail the sacred board over the gates of the city. After 900 years, the sacred image was transferred to Constantinople. Now, every year on August 29, Orthodox Christians celebrate the feast of finding the image of the Savior Not Made by Hands and consecrate hand-woven canvases.

What else was placed on the shelf for images?

Home iconostases of those times were also intended to store holy water and prosphora. The household members hid the gospel and commemorations (special books in which the names of all the dead and living Orthodox of this family were kept) behind the god. Particularly skilled needlewomen created doves (as a symbol of the Holy Spirit) from improvised materials and hung them on the iconostasis. In the red corner, it was obligatory to have lamps and candles that were lit during home service.

There was a similar small church in every Orthodox house until the 1917 revolution. After the Bolsheviks came to power, people continued to pray, but they did it in secret. Therefore, from the richly decorated home iconostases, only a few images remained, which people carefully hid from prying eyes, fearing persecution. The modern red corner is somewhat different from the one that our ancestors created, since many of the traditions of its creation are simply forgotten.

Create your own red corner

The way the home iconostasis will be depends only on the owners of the house. However, remember to follow the following rules:

• Holy images must be installed away from technology (TV, computer, etc.) - the farther from everything mundane, the better.
• There should be enough space in front of the icons so that the worshipers do not feel cramped. And during prayer, church books (prayer books, the Gospel) are best placed on a folding lectern (stand).
• Do not place icons one by one on bookshelves, in lockers, while forcing these images with other mundane items: souvenirs, pictures, etc. This is strictly forbidden, because by doing so we show disrespect for God. Indeed, for some reason, photographs of people we love and care about, especially those who have left this world, are put by many in the most prominent place, without cluttering them with unnecessary objects. The same should be done with icons, showing love and respect for the holy images.

The difference between icons and paintings

If you have reproductions of paintings at home that reflect biblical scenes, they should not be installed on the iconostasis.

The main difference between a holy image and painting is that in the first case, through icons, we communicate with the Lord. And since the iconostasis is a sacred place intended for solitude in prayers, the inclusion of reproductions in it would simply be inappropriate.

Icons should not be hung on the wall next to the posters of celebrities - by doing this we offend the holy images, putting them on a par with earthly idols.

Home iconostases are best placed in the eastern part of the house, since this part of the world has a special meaning in Orthodoxy.

For example, from old testament it is known that the Lord created a paradise for people in the eastern part of Eden. And the Gospel says that as lightning comes from the east to the very west, so the Lord comes from Heaven. The church altar is also located in the eastern part. If windows face this side, the home iconostasis, the photo of which you will find in this article, is installed in any other place suitable for it.

What shelf to buy?

Will you create homemade iconostases with your own hands from wood or will you purchase them in furniture store or the church shop, it's entirely up to you. If you want to buy a shelf, do it in specialized Orthodox stores. There is a wider range of iconostases, and the sellers will always prompt and help with the choice. According to the material, wooden and plywood shelves for icons are distinguished. They can be single-tier and multi-tier, straight and angular. There are even solid iconostases, which already have holy images. But such shelves are mostly made only to order. To understand what such a home iconostasis looks like, the photo is presented in this article.

If you decide to create a real red corner, choose multi-tiered shelves. On them it will be much easier to recreate a majestic wall with holy images, like those installed in temples. What will be your home iconostasis - corner or straight depends on where it will be placed (on the wall or in the corner of the room).

What icons are needed?

First of all, in every home there should be images of the Savior, Mother of God and Nicholas the Wonderworker. Of all the icons of Our Lord, the waist-length Image of the Almighty is most preferable for home prayer. On such an icon, Jesus Christ holds in his left hand an open book in which it is written "I give you a new commandment: love one another." With the right hand, the Lord baptizes the one who prays.

Of the images of the Mother of God, the Russian people especially fell in love with icons such as "Tenderness" and "Hodegetria" (Guide). In the first image, the Virgin Mary holds a baby in her arms, who gently hugs her neck and presses against her cheek. The most famous icon of this type is considered Vladimir image Mother of God. Its distinctive feature is that the left heel of the baby is completely turned outward. On the image of the Hodegetria, the Mother of God is depicted with a baby, who, in right hand holds a bundle, and with the left overshadows all those who pray with the sign of the cross. A vivid example of this image is the Kazan icon, "Soon to hearken", "Sinner's guarantor".

Additional images

In addition to these main icons, on the home iconostasis it is necessary to put images of saints, after whom members of your family are named. It is also desirable to purchase an icon of the healer Panteleimon, a healer of mental and physical illnesses. The choice of other images depends entirely on the needs of the household. For example, you can purchase the image of Peter and Fevronia, who are praying for family well-being. Before the icon of Sergius of Radonezh, they ask for help in teaching and good undertakings. Unmarried women can pray before the image of Xenia of St. Petersburg, who, by the will of God, became an assistant to people in matters of marriage.

Recently, in many homes, the image of the blessed old woman Matrona of Moscow has become one of the central icons. Even after her earthly death, she helps in everything those who come to her in the Intercession Church or to the grave at the Danilovsky cemetery, or simply turn to Matrona in prayers at home. Many people have already received healing and help from her. No wonder she said: "Come to me and tell me everything, as if alive." By this, Matrona meant that her earthly death does not mean a spiritual death: after all, she is still with us.

home iconostasis. How to arrange icons

It is very important to correctly place the images in the space allotted for them. Above the iconostasis is the Crucifixion. It can be purchased at a church shop or made from wood yourself. The icon of the Holy Trinity is placed on the next tier. On the bottom shelf there should be images of the Savior, the Mother of God and Nicholas the Wonderworker. At the same time, the image of the Lord should be in the middle, the right hand (right) - the Virgin Mary, and the left (left) - Nicholas the Pleasant.

A little lower are icons of saints revered by the family. On the last tier you can put a bottle of holy water, candles and the Gospel.

Making the corner red

You can decorate the home iconostasis with fresh flowers, willow branches after the twelfth feast - the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem. And on the day of the Descent of the Holy Spirit, the shelves with images are framed with birch branches, as a symbol of the grace of the power of God.

On the shelf for icons, you can also install reproductions of images. They must first be consecrated and then added to the home iconostasis. Embroider a kiot (frame) for them with beads, and then they will look harmoniously with other icons.

We make a shelf

If you do not have the opportunity to purchase a stand for images, or all the models that you have met, you did not like or do not fit (for example, a small number of tiers, limited space etc.), then the do-it-yourself home iconostasis, photos of which are presented in the article, can be made independently. For a standard three-tier iconostasis, you will need wooden planks, drill and screws. In order to assemble it, you need to create drawings home iconostasis.Using them, you can easily calculate the dimensions of wooden panels, which will depend on the number of icons located on the iconostasis.

Uncomplicated process

The most elementary stand for holy images can be made from plywood. It is first necessary to attach icons to it with screws in accordance with heavenly hierarchy. After that, you should make a riza for icons - this is a special salary that frames the images. It can be created from embroidered fabric or from beads and beads. This will give the icon shelf a festive and solemn look. This is how you can make a home iconostasis with your own hands. Photos of similar works in this article will help you in its design.

Thus the creation small church at home is not so much an indispensable condition for the life of an Orthodox Christian, but rather his spiritual impulse and desire. After all, the one who believes and loves the Lord always wants to turn to him in prayers both during the liturgy and at home service. It does not matter whether your iconostasis is made of expensive materials and lined with gilded images, or you yourself created it by hand, collecting holy images. The main value is your faith and desire for spiritual perfection.

Quantity and quality are different categories. It is naive to believe that the more Sacred images in the house of an Orthodox Christian, the more pious his life. An unsystematized collection of icons, reproductions, wall church calendars that occupies a significant part of the living space can often have a completely opposite effect on a person’s spiritual life. The main thing is that a prayer is offered before the icons.

Firstly, thoughtless collecting can turn into empty collecting, where there is no question of the prayer purpose of the icon.

Secondly (and this is the main thing), in this case there is a distortion of the concept of a house as a dwelling, as the material basis of an Orthodox family.
My house will be called a house of prayer (Matthew 21:13)- this is about the temple, which was created for prayer and the performance of the Sacraments.

The house is a continuation of the temple, no more; home is first and foremost a family hearth; a prayer will sound in the house, but the prayer is private; there is a Church in the house, but the Church is small, domestic, family. The principle of hierarchy (that is, the subordination of the lower to the higher), reflecting Heavenly harmony and order, is also present in earthly life. Therefore, it is unacceptable to mix ontologically different concepts of the temple and the house.

However, the icons in the house must be mandatory. In sufficient quantities, but within reasonable limits.

In the past, in every Orthodox family, both peasant and urban, in the most prominent place of the dwelling, there was always a shelf with icons or a whole home iconostasis. The place where the icons were placed was called the “front corner”, “red corner”, “holy corner”, “deity”, “kiot” or “kivot”.

For an Orthodox Christian, an icon is not only an image of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Mother of God, saints and events from the Holy and church history. An icon is a sacred image, that is, separated from the realities of everyday life, not mixing with everyday life and intended only for communion with God. Therefore, the main purpose of the icon is prayer. The icon is a window from the heavenly world to our world - the world of the valley; it is a revelation of God in lines and colors.

Thus, an icon is not just a family heirloom passed down from generation to generation, but a shrine; a shrine that unites all family members during joint prayer, for joint prayer is possible only when mutual insults are forgiven each other and complete unity of the people standing in front of the icon is achieved.

Of course, at the present time, when the TV has taken the place of the icon in the house - a kind of window into the colorful world of human passions, the traditions of joint prayer at home, the meaning of the family icon, and the awareness of one's family as a small Church have been largely lost.

Therefore, an Orthodox Christian living in a modern city apartment often has questions:

• What icons should be in the house?

• How to place them correctly?

• Is it possible to use reproductions from icons?

• What to do with old icons that have fallen into disrepair?

Some of these questions should only be answered unequivocally, while answering others, you can do without any strict recommendations.

G where to place the icons?

In a free and accessible place.
The conciseness of such an answer is caused not by the absence of canonical requirements, but by the realities of life.
Of course, it is desirable to place icons on the eastern wall of the room, because the east as a theological concept has a special meaning in Orthodoxy.

And the Lord God planted a paradise in Eden in the east, and placed there the man whom he had created (Gen. 2:8).

Look, Jerusalem, to the east, and look at the joy that comes to you from God (Bar. 4:36).

... for as lightning comes from the east and is visible even to the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man (Matthew 24:27).

But what to do if the house is oriented so that there are windows or doors in the east: In this case, you can use the southern, northern or western walls of the dwelling.

The main thing is that there should be enough free space in front of the icons so that the worshipers would not feel crowded when praying together. And for books needed during prayer, it is convenient to use a folding portable lectern.

When choosing a place for a home iconostasis, it is necessary to avoid the close proximity of icons to a TV, tape recorder and other household appliances. Technical devices belong to our time, they are momentary, their purpose does not correspond to the purpose of sacred images, and, if possible, they should not be connected together.

True, there may be exceptions. For example, in the editorial departments of Orthodox publishing houses, the neighborhood of an icon and a computer is quite acceptable. And if the author or employee works at home, then the icon placed near the computer serves as confirmation that this technique is used to spread the Good News, that this human-made tool serves as a conductor of God's will.

Icons should not be mixed with decorative objects of a secular nature: figurines, panels made of various materials, etc.

It is inappropriate to place an icon on a bookshelf next to books whose content either has nothing to do with Orthodox truths, or is even contrary to the Christian preaching of love and mercy.

Icons should be placed in a separate place from other items. Icons look extremely inappropriate in bookcases where books of a secular nature are stored, on shelves next to cosmetics, photographs of loved ones, toys, figurines, or simply are some kind of interior decoration. You can not place posters of pop performers, politicians, athletes and other idols of the current century next to the icons. It should not be among the icons and art paintings, even if they are written on biblical subjects.

There is an erroneous opinion that spouses should not hang icons in the bedroom, and if they are, then on at night it is necessary to cover them with a curtain. It's a delusion. First, no curtain can hide from God. Secondly, marital intimacy in marriage is not a sin. Therefore, you can safely place icons in the bedroom. Moreover, many of our compatriots do not always have the opportunity to place icons in a separate room designed for this.

Of course, the icon should be in the dining room or, if the family is having dinner in the kitchen, then there, so that you can pray before eating and thank the Lord after the meal. Icons can be in every room, there is nothing wrong and reprehensible in this.

… give the Lord the glory of His name. Take the gift, go before Him, worship the Lord in the splendor of His holiness (1 Chr. 16:29)- this is what the Holy Scripture says about the proper attitude to the shrine dedicated to the Lord.

Icon decoration

Home iconostasis can be decorated with fresh flowers, and large, separately hanging icons are often, according to tradition, framed with towels. This tradition dates back to antiquity and has a theological justification.

According to Tradition, the lifetime image of the Savior arose miraculously to help a suffering person: Christ, having washed his face, wiped himself with a clean handkerchief (brus) on which His Face was displayed, and sent this handkerchief to the leprous-stricken king of Asia Minor Avgar in the city of Edessa. The healed ruler and his subjects converted to Christianity, and the Image Not Made by Hands was nailed to a “rotting board” and placed over the city gates.

The day when the Church remembers the transfer in 944 from Edessa to Constantinople of the Image of the Savior Not Made by Hands (August 29, according to the new style), was popularly called “canvas” or “linen Savior”, and in some places this holiday was consecrated by homespun linens and towels. These towels were decorated with rich embroidery and were intended specifically for the goddess. Also, the icons were framed with towels, which the owners of the house used during prayers for the blessing of water and weddings. So, for example, after the blessing of water prayer, when the priest abundantly sprinkled the worshipers with holy water, people wiped their faces with special towels, which were then placed in a red corner.

After the celebration of the Entry of the Lord to Jerusalem, near the icons, willow branches consecrated in the church were placed, which, according to tradition, are kept until the next Palm Sunday. On the Day of the Holy Trinity, or Pentecost, it is customary to decorate dwellings and icons with birch branches, which symbolize the flourishing Church, bearing the grace-filled power of the Holy Spirit.

There should not be between the icons of paintings or reproductions of paintings. A painting, even if it has a religious content, such as Alexander Ivanov's Appearance of Christ to the People or Raphael's Sistine Madonna, is not a canonical icon.

Sometimes among the icons in the red corner you can find photographs or reproductions of photographs of priests, elders, people of a righteous, God-pleasing life. Is this allowed? If you strictly follow the canonical requirements, then, of course, no. Do not confuse icon-painting images of saints and photographic portraits.

The icon proclaims to us about the saint in his glorified, transfigured state, while a photograph, even of a person subsequently glorified as a saint, shows a specific moment of his earthly life, a separate stage of ascent to the mountainous heights of the spirit.

Such photographs, of course, are needed in the house, but they should be placed away from the icons.

Previously, along with prayer icons - sacred images, in houses, especially peasants, there were also pious images: lithographs of temples, views of the Holy Land, as well as popular prints, which in a naive, but vivid and figurative form, told about serious subjects.

"A collection of prayers for every need with gifts"

You can become the owner of this unique creation, who will open the door to happiness for you.

About church calendars and reproductions

At present, various church wall calendars with reproductions of icons have appeared. They should be treated as a convenient form of printed matter for an Orthodox Christian, since such calendars contain the necessary instructions regarding holidays and fasting days.

But the reproduction itself, at the end of the year, can be pasted on a solid base, consecrated in the church according to the order of blessing the icon and placed in the home iconostasis.

Regarding reproductions of icons and color photographs from them, it can be said that sometimes it is more reasonable to have a good reproduction than an icon painted, but of poor quality.

The attitude of an icon painter to his work must be extremely demanding. Just as a priest does not have the right to celebrate the liturgy without proper preparation, so the icon painter must approach his service with full responsibility. Unfortunately, both in the past and now, one can often find vulgar fakes that have nothing to do with the icon. Therefore, if the image does not evoke a feeling of inner reverence and a sense of contact with the shrine, if it is doubtful in terms of theological content and unprofessional in terms of execution technique, then it is better to refrain from such an acquisition.

And reproductions of canonical icons, pasted on a solid base and consecrated in the church, will take worthy place in the home iconostasis.

What to do with old calendars with icons?

Is it possible to cut out an icon from the calendar and put it next to others? The answer is unequivocal: yes.

But first you need to stick such an icon on a solid base and consecrate it in the temple according to the order of consecrating icons. And with old calendars, from which it is impossible to cut out an icon, it is necessary to do the same as with dilapidated icons that cannot be restored, i.e. burn.

What icons to have at home?

Be sure to have the icon of the Savior and the icon of the Mother of God. Images of the Lord Jesus Christ, as evidence of the Incarnation and the Salvation of the human race, and the Mother of God, as the most perfect of earthly people, who was honored with complete deification and revered as the most honest Cherubim and the most glorious Seraphim without comparison - are necessary for the house where Orthodox Christians live.

From the images of the Savior for home prayer, a half-length image of the Lord Almighty is usually chosen. From the iconography of the Mother of God, icons of the type “Tenderness” and “Hodegetria” are most often chosen.

Of course, if the holidays for the family are the days of honoring any icons of the Savior or the Mother of God, for example, the Image Not Made by Hands of the Lord Jesus Christ or the Icon of the Mother of God "The Sign", then it is good to have these icons in the house, as well as images of saints, named after family members.

For those who have the opportunity to place more icons in the house, you can supplement your iconostasis with images of revered local saints and, of course, the great saints of the Russian land.

In the traditions of Russian Orthodoxy, a special reverence for St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, whose icons are found in almost every Orthodox family, has become stronger. It should be noted that, along with the icons of the Savior and the Mother of God, the image of Nicholas the Wonderworker has always occupied a central place in the home of an Orthodox Christian. Among the people, St. Nicholas is revered as a saint endowed with special grace. This is largely due to the fact that, according to the church charter, every Thursday of the week, along with the holy apostles, the church offers prayers to St. Nicholas, Archbishop of the World of Lycia, the miracle worker.

Among the images of the holy prophets of God, Elijah can be distinguished, among the apostles - supreme leaders Peter and Paul.

Of the images of martyrs for the faith of Christ, the icons of the holy great martyr George the Victorious, as well as the holy great martyr and healer Panteleimon, are most often found.

For the completeness and completeness of the home iconostasis, it is desirable to have images of the holy Evangelists, St. John the Baptist, the archangels Gabriel and Michael, and icons of holidays.

The choice of icons for the home is always individual. And the best assistant here is the priest - the confessor of the family, and it is to him, or any other clergyman, that you should turn for advice.

How to place the icons, in what order?

Are there strict statutory requirements for this?

In church, yes. For a home deity, one can limit oneself to only some basic rules.
For example, if the icons are hung haphazardly, asymmetrically, without a thoughtful composition, then this causes constant feeling dissatisfaction with their placement, the desire to change everything, which very often distracts from prayer. It is also necessary to remember the principle of hierarchy: do not place, for example, the icon of a locally venerated saint over the icon of the Holy Trinity, the Savior, the Mother of God, the apostles. The icon of the Savior should be to the right of the one who is coming, and the Mother of God to the left (as in the classical iconostasis).

When choosing icons, make sure that they are uniform in artistic manner, try not to allow a variety of styles.

What to do if the family has a particularly revered, inherited icon, but it is not written quite canonically or has some loss of paint layer?

If the flaws in the image do not have serious distortions of the image of the Lord, the Mother of God or a saint, such an icon can be made the center of a home iconostasis or, if space permits, placed on a lectern under the goddess, because such an image is a shrine for all family members.

How to properly treat an icon

One of the indicators of the level spiritual development The Orthodox Christian is served by his attitude towards the shrine. The veneration of the family icon has always been special. After baptism, the baby was brought to the icon and the priest or the owner of the house read prayers. With the icon, parents blessed their children for study, for a long trip, for public service. Giving consent to the wedding, the parents also blessed the newlyweds with an icon. And the departure of a person from life took place under the images. The well-known expression “dispersed, even endure the saints” is evidence of a conscientious attitude towards icons. Before the images of saints, quarrels, misbehavior or domestic scandals are unacceptable.

But the careful and reverent attitude towards the icon of an Orthodox Christian should not develop into unacceptable forms of worship. It is necessary to cultivate the correct veneration of sacred images from an early age. It is always necessary to remember that an icon is an image, sacred, but still only an image. And one should not confuse such concepts as the image - the image itself, and the prototype - the one who is depicted.

It is desirable to crown the home iconostasis with a cross; crosses are also placed on the doorposts. The cross is a sacred thing for an Orthodox Christian. This is a symbol of the salvation of all mankind from eternal death. The 73rd Canon of the Council of Trullo, held in 691, testifies to the importance of venerating the images of the holy cross: “Because life-giving cross showed us salvation, every care must be taken to give due respect to that whereby we are saved from the ancient fall ... "

During prayer in front of the icons, it is good to light the lamp, and on holidays and Sunday let it burn and during the day.

In multi-room city apartments, the iconostasis for common family prayer is usually placed in the largest of the rooms, while in others it is necessary to place at least one icon.

If an Orthodox family has a meal in the kitchen, then an icon is needed there for prayer before and after the meal. It is most reasonable to place an icon of the Savior in the kitchen, since the thanksgiving prayer after the meal is addressed to Him: “We thank You, Christ, our God…”.

What to do if the icon has become unusable and cannot be restored?

Such an icon, even if it is not consecrated, should in no case be simply thrown away: a shrine, even if it has lost its original appearance, must always be treated with reverence.

Previously, the old icons were handled in the following way: until a certain state, the old icon was kept in a shrine behind other icons, and if the colors from the icon were completely erased from time to time, then it was allowed to flow along the river.
In our time, of course, this is not worth doing; the dilapidated icon must be taken to the church, where it will be burned in the church oven. If this is not possible, then you should burn the icon yourself, and bury the ashes in a place that will not be desecrated: for example, in a cemetery or under a tree in a garden.

The tradition of having an iconostasis in the house has existed for many centuries. An alternative to purchased products is makeshift shelf for icons. The Orthodox religion allows the use of religious objects for decoration of premises. With your own hands, you can make an interior element that is best suited for the size and color of frames, wallpapers and other surfaces. Consider what options exist for choosing the configuration, materials and methods of decorating such furniture.

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Design Options

There is various ways making stands for images. The main condition is the absence of objects on them that are not related to religion. Frames must overlap each other vertically and horizontally, placed one on one. It is recommended to provide a place for a candle or lamp. If you plan to purchase new images, then the shelf for icons should have a reserve place for their installation. It is possible to provide for the possibility of attaching an additional level.

There are such design options:

1. single-tier;
2. multi-tiered;
3. for icons.

The choice is made based on the layout, interior and size of the room, the number of images and their configuration.

Traditionally, religious accessories are made of wood and materials produced from it. But there are no strict prohibitions regarding the use of metal or plastic. Masters recommend wood because of its ease of processing and presentable appearance.

To work, you will need the following tools:

• perforator;
• wood saw;
• roulette;
• hammer;
• screwdriver.

To protect hands, organs of vision and breathing, it is advisable to purchase fabric gloves, mounting goggles and a gauze bandage.

To make a shelf for icons with your own hands, you will need the following materials:

1. boards made of solid oak, pine, cherry or walnut;
2. plywood, OSB or chipboard;
3. slats 20-40 mm wide;
4. sandpaper;
5. varnish for wood;
6. wood glue;
7. steel corners and hinges;
8. set of dowels and screws;
9. caps for hats of hardware.

Depending on the choice of finishing method, paint, stain or color film may be needed.

Decoration methods

Self-made shelves for icons need finishing and decoration. This will give them a fresh and solemn look, corresponding to the purpose of the products.

There are such options for decorating stands for images:

• waxing;
• impregnation with stain;
• varnish coating;
• adding overhead openwork details;
• artistic carving;
• engraving or burning;
• painting on wood;
• applying stencils and airbrushing;
• glitter, beads and beads.

It is allowed to combine several finishing methods in 1 product. The main thing is that it does not look too colorful, overshadowing the image.

wood carving

Each shelf must have a crucifix. It is performed in a volumetric version by. In most cases, such work is entrusted to masters and it is expensive. You can make an Orthodox cross yourself, using a set of well-sharpened incisors. In addition to the crucifix, relief images of domes, images of saints and great martyrs, fish, birds, animals and fairy-tale characters are applied to the walls and sides. Cutting patterns and bas-reliefs is allowed.

Execution of volumetric fragments is carried out in the following sequence:

1. Selecting or making an image, transferring its outlines and small details to the workpiece.
2. Sawing parts along the contour, grinding sharp edges, removing sawdust.
3. Making convex parts with cutters. This should be done in stages, with thin petals.
4. Fine product processing sandpaper. If necessary, coat it with a primer or other protective liquid.

The crucifix and overhead parts are glued to the back wall. To do this accurately and without distortions, you should make outlines with a pencil.

Simulation process

Not always available natural wood and metal good quality. Often, craftsmen have to improvise to give the image shelves an attractive look.

For this, the following methods are used:

1. tight fitting wood boards or plywood in the color of valuable tree species, natural stone or metal. Separate pieces of film can be used to depict nature and church buildings.
2. Artificial aging of wood and metal. The wood is given the look of an old product by processing with a stain and a steel brush. Copper and brass are soaked in salt water to form a patina.
3. The addition of gilding to the paint, which makes the carved domes authentic.

Parts manufacturing

You can make shelves for images with balusters under the crossbars. To do this, you need to buy or rent a portable lathe. It is advisable to use a template so that the side is made of identical symmetrical fragments.

Do-it-yourself home iconostasis is made in the following sequence:

• drawing markings on workpieces;
• sawing horizontal shelves, crossbeams and vertical walls;
• leveling and grinding the edges of the boards;
• production of balusters;
• drilling holes for fastening parts;
• connection of fragments into a single structure;
• finishing and decoration.

In conclusion, the fitting of the finished product to the wall is carried out. Screws are screwed into it, a shelf is hung on them.

Single tier straight shelving

Shelves of this type are selected for placement a large number images or if all the corners in the room are occupied. Hang racks on the east wall of the room. Even for such a relatively easy-to-manufacture rack, drawings are necessary. Preliminary planning will allow you to fit all the details with high accuracy, calculate the required amount of building materials.

For a single-tier structure, it is necessary to take boards with a thickness of at least 15 mm. The height of the back wall should be more than 30 cm so that the images do not protrude above it. The iconostasis should be placed at eye level, provided there are no other bright and decorative interior items nearby. To install a candle or lamp, a non-combustible stand should be provided. In order not to clutter up the product with a side, you can put a low threshold along the lower crossbar to fix the frames.

Corner shelves

In most cases, a corner shelf for icons is made in 2 or 3 tiers. This is due to the need to place several images in a small space. Optimal size a height of 70-75 cm and symmetrical shelves 40-50 cm wide are considered. A larger structure will look bulky even in a large room.

Home iconostases are a kind of small church for a believing Orthodox Christian. They should be given a special place in their dwelling where they can calmly pray in front of the images.

The history of the red corner

Home iconostases appeared in Ancient Russia. For them, a whole corner was assigned, which was called red (i.e. beautiful). Icons were placed in this place, candles and lamps were lit. In the morning and evening, as well as during hours of special spiritual need, the household members said their prayers here.

The iconostasis of those times was a multi-tiered shelf on which the god was hung - a small curtain that covered the images of the saints and the Savior on the sides. The icons were hidden under the gospel - a special cloth, which was pulled back only during prayer. This tradition appeared in Russia not by chance. It is known that the first image of the Savior would have been created by Himself, according to His will of God: after Jesus sprinkled his face with water and wiped it with a robe (cloth), His face remained on this canvas. He sent this canvas to the ailing ruler of Asia Minor - Avgar, thanks to which he was healed. After that, the prince gave the order to nail the sacred board over the gates of the city. After 900 years, the sacred image was transferred to Constantinople. Now, every year on August 29, Orthodox Christians celebrate the feast of finding the image of the Savior Not Made by Hands and consecrate hand-woven canvases.

What else was placed on the shelf for images?

Home iconostases of those times were also intended to store holy water and prosphora. The household members hid the gospel and commemorations (special books in which the names of all the dead and living Orthodox of this family were kept) behind the god. Particularly skilled needlewomen created doves (as a symbol of the Holy Spirit) from improvised materials and hung them on the iconostasis. In the red corner, it was obligatory to have lamps and candles that were lit during home service.

There was a similar small church in every Orthodox house until the 1917 revolution. After the Bolsheviks came to power, people continued to pray, but they did it in secret. Therefore, from the richly decorated home iconostases, only a few images remained, which people carefully hid from prying eyes, fearing persecution. The modern red corner is somewhat different from the one that our ancestors created, since many of the traditions of its creation are simply forgotten.

Create your own red corner

The way the home iconostasis will be depends only on the owners of the house. However, remember to follow the following rules:

• Holy images must be installed away from technology (TV, computer, etc.) - the farther from everything mundane, the better.
• There should be enough space in front of the icons so that the worshipers do not feel cramped. And during prayer, church books (prayer books, the Gospel) are best placed on a folding lectern (stand).
• You should not place icons one by one on bookshelves, in lockers, while forcing these images with other worldly objects: souvenirs, pictures, etc. This is strictly forbidden, because by doing so we show disrespect for God. Indeed, for some reason, photographs of people we love and care about, especially those who have left this world, are put by many in the most prominent place, without cluttering them with unnecessary objects. The same should be done with icons, showing love and respect for the holy images.

The difference between icons and paintings

If you have reproductions of paintings at home that reflect biblical scenes, they should not be installed on the iconostasis.

The main difference between a holy image and painting is that in the first case, through icons, we communicate with the Lord. And since the iconostasis is a sacred place intended for solitude in prayers, the inclusion of reproductions in it will simply be inappropriate.

Icons should not be hung on the wall next to celebrity posters - by doing this we offend the holy images, putting them on a par with earthly idols.

Home iconostases are best placed in the eastern part of the house, since this part of the world has a special meaning in Orthodoxy.

For example, it is known that the Lord created a paradise for people in the eastern part of Eden. And the Gospel says that as lightning comes from the east to the very west, so the Lord comes from Heaven. The church altar is also located in the eastern part. If windows face this side, the home iconostasis, the photo of which you will find in this article, is installed in any other place suitable for it.

What shelf to buy?

Whether you will create homemade iconostases with your own hands from wood or purchase them at a furniture store or church shop is completely up to you. If you want to buy a shelf, do it in specialized Orthodox stores. There is a wider range of iconostases, and the sellers will always prompt and help with the choice. According to the material, wooden and plywood are distinguished. They can be single-tier and multi-tier, straight and angular. There are even solid iconostases, which already have holy images. But such shelves are mostly made only to order. To understand what such a home iconostasis looks like, the photo is presented in this article.

If you decide to create a real red corner, choose multi-tiered shelves. On them it will be much easier to recreate a majestic wall with holy images, like those installed in temples. What will be your home iconostasis - corner or straight depends on where it will be placed (on the wall or in the corner of the room).

What icons are needed?

First of all, in every home there should be images of the Savior, the Mother of God and St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. Of all the icons of Our Lord, the waist-length Image of the Almighty is most preferable for home prayer. On this one he holds in his left hand an open book, in which is written "I give you a new commandment: love one another." With the right hand, the Lord baptizes the one who prays.

Of the images of the Mother of God, the Russian people especially fell in love with icons such as "Tenderness" and "Hodegetria" (Guide). In the first image, the Virgin Mary holds a baby in her arms, who gently hugs her neck and presses against her cheek. The most famous icon of this type is the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God. Its distinctive feature is that the left heel of the baby is completely turned outward. On the image of the Hodegetria, the Mother of God is depicted with a baby, who holds a bundle in her right hand, and with her left overshadows all those who pray. A striking example of this image is the Kazan icon, “Quickly Hearing”, “Sinner’s guarantor”.

Additional images

In addition to these main icons, on the home iconostasis it is necessary to put images of saints, after whom members of your family are named. It is also desirable to purchase an icon of the healer Panteleimon - a healer of mental and bodily diseases. The choice of other images depends entirely on the needs of the household. For example, you can purchase the image of Peter and Fevronia, who are praying for family well-being. Before asking for help in learning and good undertakings. Unmarried women can pray before the image of Xenia of St. Petersburg, who, by the will of God, became an assistant to people in matters of marriage.

Recently, in many homes, the image of the blessed old woman Matrona of Moscow has become one of the central icons. Even after her earthly death, she helps in everything those who come to her in the Intercession Church or to the grave at the Danilovsky cemetery, or simply turn to Matrona in prayers at home. Many people have already received healing and help from her. No wonder she said: "Come to me and tell me everything, as if alive." By this, Matrona meant that her earthly death does not mean a spiritual death: after all, she is still with us.

home iconostasis. How to arrange icons

It is very important to correctly place the images in the space allotted for them. Above the iconostasis is the Crucifixion. It can be purchased at a church shop or made from wood yourself. On the next tier they have On the bottom shelf there should be images of the Savior, the Mother of God and Nicholas the Wonderworker. At the same time, the image of the Lord should be in the middle, the right hand (on the right) - the Virgin Mary, and on the left (left) - Nikolai the Pleasant.

A little lower are icons of saints revered by the family. On the last tier you can put a bottle of holy water, candles and the Gospel.

Making the corner red

You can decorate the home iconostasis with fresh flowers, willow branches after the twelfth holiday - the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem. And on the day of the Descent of the Holy Spirit, the shelves with images are framed with birch branches, as a symbol of the grace of the power of God.

On the shelf for icons, you can also install reproductions of images. They must first be consecrated and then added to the home iconostasis. Embroider a kiot (frame) for them with beads, and then they will look harmoniously with other icons.

We make a shelf

If you do not have the opportunity to purchase a stand for images, or all the models that you have met, you did not like or do not fit (for example, a small number of tiers, limited space, etc.), then do-it-yourself home iconostasis, photos of which are presented in the article , you can make your own. For a standard three-tier iconostasis, you will need wooden boards, a drill and screws. In order to assemble it, you need to create drawings of the home iconostasis. Using them, you can easily calculate the dimensions of the wooden panels, which will depend on the number of icons located on the iconostasis.

Uncomplicated process

The most elementary stand for holy images can be made from plywood. First, you need to attach icons to it with screws in accordance with the heavenly hierarchy. After that, a riza for icons should be made - this is a special salary that frames the images. It can be created from embroidered fabric or from beads and beads. This will give the icon shelf a festive and solemn look. This is how you can make a home iconostasis with your own hands. Photos of similar works in this article will help you in its design.

Thus, the creation of a small church at home is not so much an indispensable condition for the life of an Orthodox Christian, but rather his spiritual impulse and desire. After all, the one who believes and loves the Lord always wants to turn to him in prayers both during the liturgy and at home service. It does not matter whether your iconostasis is made of expensive materials and lined with gilded images, or you yourself created it by hand, collecting holy images. The main value is your faith and desire for spiritual perfection.

Many traditions of Christianity have been erased from memory, lost for centuries. Older people still remember the old traditions, keep the memory of sacred prayers and rituals, but the younger generation is lost and afraid to make mistakes, converting to faith. The question of how and where to place home icons worries many, we will try to give a simple and understandable answer.

Where to install the iconostasis and individual icons

Canonically, the home iconostasis was placed in the eastern part of the house. Temple altars are also located in the eastern part of the church. However, one should not confuse the house with the church. The house is just a continuation of the temple, there is no need to confuse and mix concepts, the house is primarily a family hearth, so the “red corner” can be placed in any part of the room. The only condition is that there should be enough free space in front of the “goddess” so that all family members can gather for prayer. In addition to the general iconostasis, it is recommended to place one icon in each living room.

If the family is going to common table in the kitchen, it is worth hanging the icon of the Savior there, since a prayer of thanksgiving is addressed to him for daily bread. An icon of the Intercession of the Holy Mother of God is usually hung over the entrance to the house.

How to arrange an iconostasis

The Church condemns the neighborhood of icons with decorative elements, modern entertainment household appliances(TV, tape recorder), paintings and various posters modern stars. It is also impossible to place icons in books of non-theological content. You can decorate the iconostasis with fresh flowers.

On Palm Sunday, willow branches are placed near the icons, and on Holy Trinity Day, the house and the red corner are decorated with birch branches. The iconostasis and icons hanging separately can be decorated with embroidered towels. This tradition has ancient roots - in the sacrament of baptism and the wedding ceremony, these towels are used, which are carefully stored and inherited. After the blessing of water, it is with these towels that it is customary to wipe the face. Since ancient times, girls have collected several embroidered towels as dowry to decorate the iconostasis in the new home of a young family.

What icons should be in the home iconostasis

Traditionally, the icon of Jesus Christ and the icon of the Mother of God are placed in the red corner. Canonically, as in a church, the icon of the Savior stands with right side, on the left - the icon of the Virgin. Select the rest of the icons yourself or with the help of a spiritual mentor.

It is desirable that the iconostasis be crowned Orthodox cross. There is no strict set of necessary icons, just as there is no single design rule. It is necessary to observe only the principle of primacy and hierarchy: you cannot place the icons of saints above the icons of the Holy Trinity, the Savior and the Mother of God. The composition should look complete, neat, systematized.

It is desirable that all icons be made in one art style. If you have an icon that is inherited, it is advisable to install it in the center of the composition, as a home shrine (but below the main icons). Icons should be treated with care, if the colors have faded and faded, then it can be stored for some time in the shrine behind other icons, and subsequently given to the church.

The iconostasis can be supplemented with icons of local saints and patrons, saints in whose honor family members are named. In Russian Orthodoxy, Nicholas the Wonderworker, Saints Peter and Paul deserve special honor.

The best adviser will be the priest - the confessor of the family. He will help with the choice of icons for your home.