The icon "Christ Resurrection": description, meaning, photo

The main dogma of the Christian faith is the doctrine of the resurrection of Christ the Savior on the third day after the death on the cross. Easter is considered the central celebration of the annual liturgical circle. An invariable attribute of any event celebrated by the church is its pictorial image. Due to the possibilities of printing production, the icon "Christ's Resurrection" in our days is one of the most widespread. However, the emergence of the now popular image was associated with the centuries-old history of hymnography and the dogmatic creativity of the Church Fathers. The complexity of forming a pictorial plot is not only in the richness of the composition by numerous figures, but also in the fact that the evangelists do not have descriptions of this event. It can not be otherwise: apostles did not attend, and even the miracle itself is incomprehensible to the human mind. The image of the Resurrection is considered not to be depicted, therefore in the painting events are displayed directly related to it. In the order of the Liturgy of John Chrysostom there are such words: "in the tomb of the flesh, in hell with the soul, like God, in paradise with the robber." The text to some extent describes the events that preceded the resurrection. The apocryphal writings also left their mark.

First Images

Picturesque images of the first three centuries were allegorical and symbolic. The emerging church art was imprinted with cruel persecutions from the pagans. In these conditions, the shrines should be carefully guarded against desecration. The most important event of the Christian church was portrayed in the form of Old Testament prototypes. The most common was the image of the prophet Jonah in the womb of the leviathan. Just as Jonah spent three days in the womb of the whale, and then was cast into the white light, and Christ was three days in the grave, and then rose again. This event is sung in the Easter chants.

Iconographic types

The very moment of the resurrection of the flesh can not be depicted because the human consciousness can not even imagine this process, especially graphically. In Christian iconography, there is a limited number of plot lines that embody the greatness of the event for believers. The image of the classical orthodox origin is called not the icon "Christ's Resurrection", but "The Descent of Christ the Savior to Hell". Western tradition introduced into the liturgical service two more understandable images of the now widespread picturesque image: "The Resurrected Christ at the Sepulcher" and "The Appearance of the Resurrected Savior to Myrrh-Bearing Wives". There are variations on these main topics, for example, the icon "Resurrection of Christ with the Feasts".

A unique fact

Every action in the church must be consistent with the statute and justified dogmatically. Modern theologians church teaching is compared to a tortoise, which has a strong shell for protection. This armor was developed in the struggle against many heresies and false teachings for many centuries. Strictly regulated and activities in the field of art. On the icon, every brush stroke should be justified. But the icon "Christ's Resurrection" is based on not completely canonical sources of information. Namely on the texts of the fifth century source, the so-called Gospel of Nicodemus, rejected by the canonical thought of the church.

Icon "Resurrection of Christ". Value

The picturesque image tells of great and incomprehensible events. It is the Gospel of Nicodemus that is perhaps the only ancient manuscript source that tells of what happened to Christ from the moment of burial to the insurrection from the grave. This apocrypha describes in some detail the dialogue between the devil and the underworld and subsequent events. Hell, anticipating its collapse, orders unclean spirits tightly "to lock the gates of brass and locks of iron." But Heavenly King crushes the gates, binds Satan and betrays him in the power of hell, commanding him to keep him in bonds until the second coming. After this, Christ calls all the righteous to follow Him. After the lapse of centuries, dogmatists clung to non-canonical texts in orthodox teaching. The Creator has no time dimension, for Him, every person who lived before the preaching of Christ, His contemporaries and those who live today is valuable to us. The Savior, having descended into the underworld, brought out from hell everyone who wanted it. But now the living should make their choice themselves. The icon shows the omnipotence of the Creator, who freed the captives of the underworld. In time, He will appear in order to execute the judgment and finally determine the measure of punishment for evil and eternal reward to the righteous.

Serbian fresco

In the mausoleum of Mileshev (Serbia) there is an ancient temple of the Ascension of the XIII century. One of the images of the medieval ensemble of mural painting is the icon "Christ's Resurrection". The fresco depicts an angel in shining garments, which corresponds to the description of these events in the Evangelist Matthew. The Heavenly Herald sits on a stone rolled away from the door of the cave. Near the coffin lie the funeral veils of the Savior. Next to the angel are women who brought the coffins with the world to the coffin. This derivation from the Orthodox icon painters did not receive special distribution, 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. In its place of location it was called the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in the Fields. In Greek, "in fields" is ἐν τῃ Χώρᾳ (en thi choir). So, the temple and the later built monastery until now call "Hora". At the beginning of the 16th century, a new mosaic covering of the interior was arranged in the church. Among the surviving to our days - the icon "Resurrection of Christ, the descent into hell." The composition depicts the Savior standing on the torn gates of hell. Christ is surrounded by an amygdala halo. By the hand He holds up those who arise from the graves of Adam and Eve. Behind the ancestors of the human race are the righteous of the Old Testament. This izvod was most widely used in iconography.

What is depicted on the icon?

The image is a dogma of the church, expressed in a picturesque form. According to the church teaching, the paradise for the righteous was closed until the Savior's death on the cross and His glorious resurrection. The composition of the icon includes images of the most famous saints to the Christian era of mankind. The Savior stands on the crossed cross of the gates of hell. They are sometimes depicted with tools and extracted nails. Adam and Eve, as a rule, are located on different sides of Christ. Abel, Moses and Aaron stand behind the foremother. On the left of Adam are John the Baptist, the kings of David and Solomon. The figures of Adam and Eve can be located on one side of Christ. In the lower part of the composition, the netherworld can be depicted with angels oppressing unclean spirits.

Icon "Resurrection of Christ". Description

The image, having a western origin, is not a symbolic composition, but a pictorial depiction of evangelical events. As a rule, an open cave-casket is depicted, the angel sits on a stone or is next to the sarcophagus, at the bottom of the composition defeated Roman soldiers and, of course, Christ in radiant robes with the sign of victory over death in his hands. On the banner is placed a cross of red color. On the hands and feet are depicted wounds from nails driven into the flesh when crucified on the cross. Although the icon "Resurrection of Christ" was borrowed in the 17th century from the Catholic realistic tradition, but, clothed in orthodox canonical forms, is quite popular among believers. It does not require any theological interpretations.

Holidays holiday

The Holy Resurrection of the Church is considered not just a holiday, but a special celebration, the glorification of which lasts for forty days. Moreover, the celebration of Easter itself lasts seven days as one day. Such an elevated attitude of believers to the rebellion of the Savior from the coffin reflected in the church art. An original line of development of the pictorial tradition is the icon "The Resurrection of Christ, the Descent into Hell with Twelve Feasts". This image contains in the center an image of the main event in the life of the church, and around the perimeter in the hallmarks of the plot of the twelve most important holidays associated with the earthly life of Christ and the Virgin. Among such shrines there are also very unique specimens. Also events of the passionate week are depicted. In practice, the icon "Resurrection of Christ with the Twelve Feasts" is a summary of evangelical events and the annual circle of worship. On the eventual images, the descent into hell is depicted with many details. The composition includes the figures of the righteous, a whole line of which Christ brings out of the underworld.

Icon on the analo

In the center of the temple there is a curbstone with an inclined board, called an analog. She is considered to be the image of a saint or a holiday, to which the service is dedicated that day. The icon "Resurrection of Christ" on the anal is found most often: during the forty days of the celebration of the Passover and at the end of each week. After all, the name of the day off is of Christian origin, the last day of the week is dedicated to glorifying the victory of Christ over death.

The most outstanding temples in honor of the Resurrection

One of the most grandiose churches in Russia is the Resurrection Cathedral of the New Jerusalem Monastery, erected in 1694. By this construction, Patriarch Nikon wished to reproduce the Church of the Resurrection in Holy Hail 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, though smaller, but not inferior in monumentality, is the Church of Our Savior on Blood in St. Petersburg.

The construction was started in 1883 in memory of the attempt on the emperor Alexander II. The uniqueness of this cathedral is that the interior décor is made of mosaic. The mosaic collection is one of the largest in Europe. It is unique in quality performance. On clear sunny days, shimmering multicolored tiles create a unique feeling of triumph and involvement in the spiritual world. In the temple itself there is an amazingly beautiful image. Outside, above one of the entrance portals, the icon "Resurrection of Christ" is also placed. Photo, of course, can not convey the fullness of the sensations, but creates a complete picture of the splendor of the decoration.