In what order should the house icons be? Where should icons be located in the apartment: correct location

Ecology of life. Informative: Previously, almost every house had its own iconostasis - a place where icons were located and where...

Previously, almost every house had its own iconostasis - a place where icons were located and where prayers were offered to the saints and to the Lord. Now, many Christian traditions have been forgotten, as a result of which some families do not know how to properly maintain and arrange icons in the house.

Previously, the most honorable place was allocated for icons, called the red or holy corner, shrine, or kivot (kiot).

Such a place was richly decorated, kept immaculately clean, it served as a kind of home altar, where family members could pray and ask the Lord for blessings. Nowadays, such a practice almost never occurs, and more and more often in the homes of believers there is simply one or several individual icons, located as and where necessary.

Of course, such an attitude towards icons is not welcome, because these are holy images that must be treated accordingly. Therefore, it is important to know at least the basic principles of choosing and placing icons in the house in advance, so as not to desecrate them.

How to choose icons for your home? The choice of icons for each family and even for its individual members is always individual: each believer has the right to decide for himself, listening to the voice of his heart, which saints’ exploits inspire him most, and which images he will turn to in prayer every day. However, there is still one general rule -

Orthodox families must have icons of the Savior and the Mother of God at home.

An icon of the Savior for home prayers is usually chosen with the image of the Lord Almighty (Pantocrator) or the Savior Not Made by Hands. The icon of the Mother of God in the house is chosen mainly from such iconographic types as “Tenderness” (“Eleusa”) and “Guide” (“Hodegetria”).

If we talk about other icons for the home, in addition to the images of Christ and the Virgin Mary, then their choice, as mentioned above, is free. But most often, believers buy for their home icons of the heavenly patron saints of family members (nominal icons), icons of very revered saints in the family, and icons of holidays. At the same time, the images of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker and the Holy Great Martyr George the Victorious are also quite often found in the homes of believers - especially revered and beloved saints among the people.

How to hang icons in the house?

In accordance with Orthodox Christian traditions, icons in the house were not always hung on the walls, but were placed on special shelves. However, in modern conditions, placing icons on walls is considered acceptable, so believers often wonder where exactly icons can be hung.

There are no strict regulations on the order of placing icons in a house, as in a temple. But you still need to adhere to a number of important principles when choosing a place for each icon. Thus, no icon can be larger or located higher than the icon of the Savior, with the exception of the icon of the Holy Trinity. Next to the image of Christ there is usually an icon of the Mother of God, and the relative position of these icons should be such that the icon of the Savior in relation to the believer facing it is on the right, and the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos is on the left.

Below the icons of Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary, or to the side of them, you can place personalized icons of family members, as well as other icons. In this case, the principle of hierarchy is usually observed: for example, icons of saints are not placed above the main icons (Holy Trinity, Savior, Mother of God) and above the icons of the apostles.

In Orthodox churches, the altars face the east, and in the home iconostasis the holy images are usually also located on the east side. But if, due to the layout of the premises in the house, it is not possible to place icons in this way, it’s okay, because icons are allowed to be placed in any accessible place. It is important to remember that there should be enough free space in front of the icons for several family members to pray at once; the part of the room where the icons are located should not be cluttered.

The choice of room for placing icons in the house can be almost anything: icons can be placed in the living room, in the nursery, in the kitchen; it is also possible to place icons above the entrance to the house. And of course, you can hang icons on the walls or place them on shelves in the bedroom, including the matrimonial one: conjugal intimacy in marriage is not a sin, so there is nothing reprehensible in the fact that icons are located above the matrimonial bed, there is and cannot be.

In conclusion, it is worth noting that icons in the house should always be placed separately, and it is inappropriate to place them on shelves with books, photographs of family members, toys, and souvenirs. It is also not allowed to place icons surrounded by paintings, even of a religious nature, or surrounded by photographs of the righteous or priests. published

There must be icons in the home of an Orthodox Christian. After all, in the house, which is a continuation of the temple, cell prayer sounds. An Orthodox believer who sets up a home iconostasis observes some rules that are not always clear to those who have just begun to live church life. We will try to explain them.

What icons should you have at home?

It's important to remember that

• It is not the number of icons that determines the degree of piety in a person’s life.
• Icons cannot be “collected” and collected like household items.
• We must remember the prayerful purpose of the icon.

Where to place a home iconostasis

Our ancestors chose the most visible place in the house to place the icons and called it the “red corner”. Objects related to church holidays were also placed there - an Easter egg, a willow twig from Forgiveness Sunday, a birch twig from the Feast of the Holy Trinity.

The home iconostasis was on the eastern side. This place was the brightest, since the corner of the house where the icons were located was equipped with two walls with windows. Currently, when arranging a home iconostasis, it is not always possible to place icons on the eastern side of the room. Therefore, you can use any wall in your home.

At the same time, it is important to provide free access to the iconostasis so that during prayer there is no feeling of crampedness or inconvenience.

When choosing a place for a home iconostasis, make sure that

• Icons did not coexist with household appliances, decorative items,
• With books whose contents contradict Orthodox dogma.
• Images of saints and their photographic portraits should also be placed in another place.

According to a long-standing tradition, the home iconostasis is decorated only with embroidered towels, and next to the icons there may be church candles, lamps and blessed oils.

The lamps are lit during prayer, as well as on Sundays and major church holidays.

There are traditions that must be observed. For example, you need to know how to position icons correctly.

In what order should the icons be placed?

1. Above all the icons there is an Orthodox Cross.
2. The central place in the iconostasis is occupied by the icon of the Savior (half-length image).
3. Above this icon is placed the image of the Holy Trinity.
4. To the right of the icon of the Savior they place an icon of the Mother of God. Most often in the home iconostasis you can see the icon of the Mother of God and.
5. Images of Saints are placed on the sides of the icons of the Savior and the Virgin Mary. You can place them higher.
6. In Russian Orthodoxy, St. Nicholas the Wonderworker is especially revered. His icon can be seen in any home iconostasis. Often there are icons of the prophet Elijah, the first church apostles Peter and Paul, the monks Sergius of Radonezh and Seraphim of Sarov, the great martyr George the Victorious, the holy great martyr and healer Panteleimon.
7. It is good if the house has images of the Holy Evangelists, St. John the Baptist, Archangels Gabriel and Michael, as well as icons of church holidays.
8. The choice of icons can be individual; patron saints of the family, whose names the household bears, are often placed in the home iconostasis.

The priest will always help you decide on the choice of icons. The main thing is not to turn the home iconostasis into a pointless collection of icons, which are then not addressed in prayer.

Archpriest Andrey Efanov about placing icons in the house

“The cell does not know the rules” - there is a monastic saying. And, although it is not entirely true, there is some truth in it. A Christian arranges his prayer corner in a way that is convenient for him. There are just a few notes that I think are important:

1. Icons should be located where a person is accustomed to pray. But at the same time, it is very good if, when entering the house, there is an image to which you can cross yourself.

2. Do not place icons next to the TV or on the wall behind it. Still, prayer and watching TV are different actions, and if there is a separation between the place of prayer and the place of entertainment, then good.

3. The central icon should be the icon of Christ. But it is quite acceptable if it is an icon of the Virgin and Child.

4. You should not place icons of saints to whom you do not intend to pray. It is unlikely that a person will keep a portrait of a stranger in a family album. We do not honor all saints equally. So why place an icon of a saint whom we do not revere, whose life we ​​do not know and to whom we are not going to pray in our prayer corner?

5. It is not good to place photographs of relatives, revered ascetics, or even lifetime portraits of saints next to icons or even together with them. An icon is a window into the otherworldly, spiritual world, but portraits and photographs are not such. Praying in front of lifetime portraits is a wrong spiritual practice.

6. It’s good when there is a lamp in front of the icons. It’s bad when there are a lot of lamps hanging in the house; in addition to the fact that the house is not a temple, the products of burning lamp oil do not improve the microclimate of the home. For the same reason, you should not leave the lamp constantly burning. Or use natural vegetable oil.

7. Icons are not needed for decoration. If you do not plan to pray in front of icons, you should not hang them in your house. It is better to first become a Christian, join a church, and only then hang the icon for regular prayer in front of it.

8. It is not customary to place icons in a bathhouse, bathroom or restroom. They also have no place in a closet, closet or covered courtyard.

9. The icon in itself does not sanctify the place; God sanctifies the Christian’s home with His grace in response to a virtuous life and prayer.

10. An icon is not a talisman. The “Unbreakable Wall” will not save you from thieves, and the “Burning Bush” will not save you from fire simply by the fact that they were hung on the wall. Miracles happen in the life of a Christian, but these are just miracles, a disruption of the usual course of life in response to the deep faith of a Christian. But there are no amulets and amulets in Christianity; Christianity is a living faith and living communication between a person and God and His saints.

Prayers in front of the home iconostasis

Prayer to the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God

O Most Wonderful and Above All Creatures Queen Theotokos, Mother of the Heavenly King Christ our God, Most Pure Hodegetria Mary! Hear us, sinners and unworthy at this hour, praying and falling before Your Most Pure Image with tears and tenderly saying: lead us out of the pit of passions, Most Blessed Lady, deliver us from all sorrow and sorrow, protect us from all misfortune and evil slander, and from the unrighteous and fierce slander of the enemy. May you, O Our Blessed Mother, save Your people from all evil and provide and save Your people with every good deed; Do You need other Representatives in troubles and circumstances, and warm Intercessors for us sinners, not imams? Pray, O Most Holy Lady, Thy Son Christ our God, that He will make us worthy of the Kingdom of Heaven; For this reason, we always glorify Thee, as the Author of our salvation, and extol the holy and magnificent name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, glorified and worshiped God in the Trinity, forever and ever. Amen.

Prayer before the icon of the Mother of God “Tenderness” Pskov-Pecherskaya

O Most Blessed Virgin Mary, Lady! Mother of all those who suffer and have heart problems! Our country and city to the Defender! Pskov-Pechersk monastery beauty and glory! Look upon us, humble, burdened with many sins, aggravated by sorrows and sorrows, and looking with contrition and tears at Your most pure face, revealed in the miraculous icon. Preserve this holy monastery from all evil, and entrust the venerable Cornelius with the elders Mark and Jonah to You and all who strive in faith and hope in it. Save this city, and all the people who live faithfully and come running to You, from the invasion of foreigners, from all fear and cowardice, from pestilence and famine, from evil people and all kinds of sorrow. Apply Your mercy to us, as You graciously pressed Your Divine face to the cheek of the Infant God. Warm us with the breath of Your love and never depart from us, neither in this life nor in the future, and hoping for Your all-powerful Motherly help, let us be worthy to comfortably reach eternal life and glorify the Heavenly Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, in the Trinity of the glorified God, forever and ever. . Amen.

Troparion, tone 4:
Let us all fall, burdened with sins, to the Mother of God with tenderness, kissing Her miraculous icon of Tenderness and crying out with tears: Lady, accept the prayer of Thy unworthy servants and grant to us who ask for Thy great mercy.

Kontakion, tone 6:
There are no imams of other help, no imams of other hope, except for You, Most Pure Virgin. Help us, we rely on You and boast in You, for we are Your servants, let us not be ashamed.

It is impossible to imagine the home of an Orthodox Christian without icons. However, you shouldn’t thoughtlessly buy all the images you like, because they also need to be placed in a house that has limited space. Thus, the number of icons in the house should be within reasonable limits.

How to hang icons in the house correctly? Photos and basic explanations can be found in the article below.

Basic rules for placing icons

According to church traditions, believers should pray facing the east. Therefore, it is recommended to place icons on the eastern side of the apartment. If you have such an opportunity, place the iconostasis in the east.

However, in many cases in the east, modern buildings have doors or windows and, accordingly, then it will not be possible to place the image there. But how to properly hang icons in an apartment in this case? Choose any other wall, because it is impossible to change the location of the building in modern conditions.

It is important not only the location of the wall relative to the cardinal points, but also its freedom and accessibility. Standing in front of the icons should be convenient for all family members, especially if the family practices joint prayer.

Where should icons be placed in the house?

It is allowed to place images on the walls (including at the head of the bed) and on the table. It is ideal when shrines are placed in icon cases. Candles, lamps, prayer books, in a word, everything that helps in prayer can be adjacent to the icons.

At the same time, it is undesirable for secular paintings, figurines, posters with images of athletes, politicians, musicians, and so on, to be located next to icons.

Let us add that paintings, even those with biblical scenes, cannot be placed next to icons. The fact is that an icon is a means through which believers communicate with God, the Mother of God and the saints; You can’t pray in front of paintings.

Where to put icons in the apartment

Can they coexist with home appliances? This is undesirable and, if possible, such proximity should be prevented. However, if, for example, a computer in a particular family is a means of work, then placing an image nearby is quite normal, because before, after, and even during work, you can and should pray, asking for God’s blessing on your actions.

According to ancient tradition, the Red Corner in the house was often decorated with the means available at that time: fresh flowers and skillfully embroidered towels. It is not a sin to maintain this tradition today. Therefore, if you have such a desire, feel free to decorate your iconostasis and single-placed icons.

So, where to hang icons in the house? Summarize:

• It is advisable to place them on the eastern wall of the house.
• Availability.
• Icons can be hung on the wall, placed on tables and shelves, or placed in icon cases.
• Icons and decorative objects should not be placed nearby.
• Icons can be decorated with flowers and towels.

Sequence of icon placement

Now you know where to properly hang icons in the house. However, in what order should they be placed?

When placing icons in a church, church ministers take into account many of the requirements of the Charter. However, the rules for placing shrines on the home iconostasis are by no means so strict. The main ones include:

• Thoughtful composition and systematic placement.
• Above all should be placed the images of the Holy Trinity, Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary. Icons of the apostles (if any) can be placed under them. Then it is necessary to place images of saints.
• should be placed to the right of the person praying, and to the left.
• Uniformity of styles.

It is desirable, but not strictly necessary, that the images be executed in approximately the same manner: otherwise the variety of styles may distract from prayer work. However, this does not apply to images - family heirlooms. They should definitely be placed on the home iconostasis, regardless of whether they fit into the general style of images or not.

So, now you know how to properly place icons in the house, photos and text will help you in this good deed. We hope that our article will help you create a canonically correct and aesthetically pleasing iconostasis!

People who have recently come to faith reasonably wonder where icons should be placed in the house? In modern practice, there are certain rules for the placement of icons. These norms are dictated by the importance and significance of the home iconostasis. After all, it is necessary to show respect and reverence to the faces of saints located in a home environment.

How to hang an icon in the house correctly?

In the home of an Orthodox Christian there must be an icon of Jesus Christ, as well as a prayer cross. At the request of a believer, you can place an icon of the Mother of God nearby, as well as images of those saints whom a person considers to be his patrons and intercessors.

How to hang an icon in the house correctly? To avoid mistakes, you can use the following tips:

• The place for the holy iconostasis is chosen in a clean and bright corner of the apartment. There is a special shelf hung there. It is possible to place the icons on a chest of drawers or a nightstand.
• The icons themselves are placed on lace napkins. The cross can be hung on the wall nearby.
• When choosing a space for a holy corner, it is worth considering the fact that candles and lamps will be lit there. That is why the shelf for icons cannot be installed too high. It is also necessary to take into account fire safety rules and do not burn candles near curtains and similar things.
• There can be one iconostasis for the whole family, but it can also be located in each room.
• The approach to the holy corner must be free, so that it is more convenient to pray in front of it;
• Icons should not be placed opposite windows or on window sills; they can be damaged by direct ultraviolet rays.
• The chain for the lamp can be attached to the ceiling mount. Its length should be enough for the main part to be located in front of the icons.
• A large number of icons can be arranged into a beautiful composition. And for the base, use a sideboard with glass doors or a special rack with open shelves.
• The iconostasis must be kept clean and tidy.

So, where should icons be placed in the house? You can answer this question yourself. The place must be specially allocated. The faces of saints are not installed on refrigerators and televisions. To organize the first holy corner, one shelf will be enough. The place with icons is not decorated with anything except festively decorated napkins and church paraphernalia.

Today, a red corner for an icon in a modern apartment must be chosen with faith and love. This should be the best place where your daily spiritual work will take place.

Our Orthodox ancestors called the red corner the front corner of the hut in the southeast of the home. There they placed images, tables for writing and prayers. Embroidered towels and homespun cloths were hung.

“Kutny corner”, “holy corner”, “kutnik” - this is how our ancestors called the place for the iconostasis. Looking at him, they were baptized morning and evening. They knelt before him and offered fervent prayers to the Lord when it was not possible to go to church services.

The red corner was seen as an analogy to a church altar. Today, there are not only rules for choosing the red corner, but also standards for placing icons in it. Let's look at them in more detail:

• Only the Holy Trinity can stand next to the icon of the Savior.
• Together with the face of the Mother of God, her other faces or the same Holy Trinity are placed.
• All other icons are placed a little to the side, perhaps on a shelf lower.
• Only spiritual books and church supplies can be adjacent to the home iconostasis. It is better to put all entertainment attributes and digital devices away.
• The placement of icons may vary in each room.

In addition to arranging the main place for prayer, you can arrange separate places in different rooms of the house where the presence of an image of a saint is welcomed.

Orthodox icons can be installed in the kitchen so that the family can offer prayers to the Lord before meals and express gratitude for the gift of food and well-being.

When placing a holy image in the kitchen, care must be taken to ensure that no dirt gets on it when cooking. It is best to put the icon behind the door of a glass cabinet. This will not interfere with sincere prayer.

An icon with a saint, whose name was given at baptism, is placed in the nursery, since children in Orthodoxy are taught early to pray and honor the biblical covenants.

Several more icons can be placed in the bedroom, as well as in guest rooms. The only place where the images of saints are not placed is the bathroom and toilet. Such placement can be considered sacrilege.

Some people prefer to pray in only one room. Others feel more comfortable if images of saints are present throughout the house. Here everyone chooses for themselves: to make several iconostases or limit themselves to one.

An icon is an image of holy persons from biblical or church history. And an icon is a painting that requires careful care in everyday life.

The ideal temperature in the room where the faces of saints are located is considered to be 18-20 degrees Celsius. Air humidity should not exceed 40%.

When stains, persistent dirt and ingrained dust appear on the icon, they are taken for restoration. Icons are not cleaned with detergents. When wiping with a damp cloth, try not to wet the face too much.

In general, dust from the image of a saint is removed with soft brushes or dry rags. It is also necessary to regularly wipe the dust in the place where the face is located, wash the napkins and tablecloths located on the iconostasis.

It is unacceptable to expose icons to direct sunlight. The colors on them may fade, and the wood will fade and crack.

The older the icon, the more careful treatment is required. Prayed over several generations, it becomes a true heirloom for a certain family, which is passed on from ancestors to descendants.

In addition to external cleanliness, spatial cleanliness must be observed near icons. Other paintings, even religious ones, cosmetics, posters, jewelry, CDs and ordinary books, photographs of family members, photos of active clergy or monks, decorative items or other personal items are never placed near the iconostasis.

If the owner leaves the house for a long time, where his rich iconostasis remains, then you can close the curtains in all rooms so that the paint of the icons “rests” from the light. It is also permissible to take home icons with you to a temporary home in order to arrange an impromptu red corner there.

Now you know where in the house they should be placed and where they should not be placed. The placement of holy faces is a serious matter. And it should be discussed at a family council. Particularly religious people are not afraid to remodel the interior to install an iconostasis according to all the rules. They easily part with vases and landscapes on the walls to make room for the faces of saints. Such an act further proves that for these people, faith in God comes first, and everything material comes second. And they are ready to do a lot for their spiritual development.

The home of an Orthodox believer is a kind of small Church; a prayer song must be heard in this place. Praises and petitions are performed in front of the images of icons, because they are a means of communication between a person and the Almighty Lord or His faithful and eternal servants. However, Orthodox believers must remember: the appeal refers to the individual, and not to the canvas on which he is depicted.

Installation of an iconostasis in the house

The arrangement of icons in a home iconostasis can be arbitrary, but in the Christian tradition there are some rules.

In past times, every family had a shelf where holy images were displayed. These divine paintings were located in the brightest and most eye-catching place. The shelf for icons was installed in the far corner of the house, in the East. This place was the most illuminated, since the two walls forming it had windows, where a lot of sunlight passed through.

Home iconostasis

An icon is a sacred image, which is separated from everyday realities and never mixes with everyday life, but is intended exclusively for dialogue with the Lord. It is a window from the infinite world, as well as divine revelations in the tones and lines of the icon painter’s brush.

It is naive to assume that a large number of holy images makes the life of an Orthodox believer more pious than it actually is.

About icons:

An unsystematized collection of icons, various reproductions, and church calendars is similar to ordinary collecting, where prayer completely disappears as an end in itself. Here there is a complete distortion of the term “house”, which is a continuation of the monastery.

Modern location of the iconostasis

For a family, this relic is a unifying prayer factor that arises after the forgiveness of all everyday grievances and the achievement of mutual understanding.

• Today's realities of life insist that the church allows you to set up a home iconostasis in a free place. However, orthodox rules recommend placing it on the eastern side. The concept of “east” has an important feature for Orthodoxy. It is written about him in the Book of Genesis, in Bartholomew and Matthew.
• If doors are located in the east of the apartment, it is allowed to use other cardinal directions.
• When choosing a place for a family altar, you need to avoid the proximity of holy images with any household appliances, which are considered a vain product of modernization and do not contribute to spirituality. It is necessary to avoid close proximity of icons and decorative decorations, as well as with books of a non-religious nature.
• For an Orthodox family, the presence of images of the Savior Christ and the Virgin Mary in the home iconostasis is mandatory. The image of the Messiah should always remain central, and all others will be smaller in size. The main icons (Trinity, Christ and the Virgin Mary) are located above the rest, but the Crucifixion is allowed to be placed above them.

How to correctly arrange icons in an apartment

• Decoration for the family iconostasis - fresh flowers. Large icons installed nearby should be framed with towels according to the ancient Christian tradition. It is prohibited to place non-canonical paintings or their reproductions nearby.
• The home iconostasis should be crowned with a cross, and a lamp should be lit during prayerful praise. On holidays, according to the church calendar, candle flames can burn for a whole day.

Important: enough space should be left in front of the iconostasis so that believers do not feel crowded during a family prayer service.

Holy images for the goddess

There must be two holy images in the home iconostasis.

An image of the Son of God, testifying to the incarnation of God and the salvation of the human race. For prayer, a waist cloth is often chosen, on which the Almighty blesses the world with his right hand, and holds the Divine Scripture in his left hand. The Lord appears in these images as the Arbiter of every destiny, a merciful Father who gives the Truth to which the eyes of Orthodox followers are directed. In this regard, icons of the Son of God always occupy the main place on the shelves of the home iconostasis.

The face of the Mother of God, who is a perfect man and revered above the Seraphim and Cherubim. More often, images called “Tenderness” or “Hodegetria” are used.

• The author of the first type, whose lists are extremely common in the Orthodox world, is traditionally considered to be the Apostle Luke. In “Tenderness” there is a magnificent contact between Christ in infancy and the Mother of God, which symbolizes the union of the earthly and the heavenly, the Creator and the best of His creations. The image expresses the Creator’s infinite love for the human race, when God gave the Son to atone for sinfulness. The most common and famous icons of the “Tenderness” type include: Vladimir, “It is Worthy to Eat,” “Recovery of the Dead,” etc.
• “Hodegetria” (“Guide”) is the second common type of face of the Virgin Mary. The image demonstrates the true path to God. In the icon this is evidenced by the specific gesture of the right hand of the Mother of God pointing to the Infant Christ. The most famous faces of “Hodegetria” are: Blachernae, Iveron, Tikhvin, Kazan, etc.

Read about the Mother of God icons for the iconostasis:

In the Orthodox tradition, the image of St. Nicholas the Ugodnik is extremely popular. It has always occupied an important place on the shelves of every Christian's iconostasis. St. Nicholas is revered as an eternal servant of God, endowed with special grace.

An Orthodox Christian can place in the shrine the images of the famous prophet Elijah, the Great Martyr George the Victorious, Panteleimon, and the holy evangelist John the Baptist.

Advice! The choice is always individual, and the best assistant in the matter is the priest. They turn to him or another monk for advice.

Iconostasis in the house

Special placement instructions

At home, you are allowed to follow only the basic rules of placement.

• It is necessary to maintain symmetry and systematicity, to think through the compositional structure, which will help to avoid feelings of internal dissatisfaction and the desire to change something. Incorrect arrangement distracts from the prayer service, the essence of which is concentration on petition and praise.
• An Orthodox person is obliged to remember the principle of church hierarchy: locally revered icons cannot be placed above the main ones (Christ the Savior, the Virgin Mary and the Holy Trinity).
• The image of the Messiah must be placed on the right side of the upcoming believer, and the canvas with the face of the Virgin Mary on the left. When selecting an iconostasis, one should focus on the uniformity of artistic execution of the shrines. The Church is not recommended to allow diversity in styles.
• Orthodox people must take holiness very seriously, since it is one of the properties of God himself. This quality is reflected in heavenly saints and material objects. It follows: the veneration of holy governors and iconographies belongs to the same religious order.
• The degree of churching of a family is judged by the reverence that members show to the faces of Christ and the Mother of God. Ancestral icons have always been greatly revered. The newly baptized baby was brought to the shrine, and the priest read prayers praising God. In ancient times, through the icon, parents blessed their children for successful studies, travel to distant lands, and service to society. Before a wedding or after the death of a person, believers also turned to the saints for help.
• If an iconostasis is placed in the house, quarrels, disgusting behavior, and scandals on various topics are unacceptable. However, an overly reverent attitude towards shrines should not be transformed into idolatry. We must remember: icons are a divine image, but not the very personality of the Lord or His vicegerents.
• A canvas that has fallen into complete disrepair and cannot be restored cannot be thrown away; it must be treated with due respect and respect as an ancient tablet. Previously, if the colors on an icon were washed off, it was sent down the river. Today, such a rarity is taken to the church, where it is burned in the temple oven.
• If damage to the face occurred due to careless storage, one should confess, since the Church considers such irresponsibility a sin.

Important! The Savior, the Mother of God, the apostles and saints looking from the canvases belong to eternity. When asking them for intercession through prayer, we - residents of areas of sorrow - need to always remember the Almighty Creator, the call to voluntary repentance, self-improvement and mercy. Through the eyes of saints, the Almighty looks at people and reminds us that we have the opportunity to save our souls.

Orthodox online store Svyatsy.Org - iconostases for the home.

DIY iconostasis

The arrangement of icons in the home iconostasis today is done as the believer wants.

However, there are certain rules that are better to adhere to in order to improve the quality of communication with the Lord and His vicegerents.

Before arrangement, you should study the planned recommendations for installation in the apartment, and then select the desired angle.

1. Today, furniture stores offer a large number of iconostases in their assortment. It is possible to make it to order, taking into account all the features and preferences.
2. Any materials are suitable for self-production.
3. The first step is to make drawings of the cabinet.
4. You should remember the distance between the shelves of the iconostasis, because they can ignite from burning candles.
5. Images of saints are placed at eye level, which facilitates communication.

It is allowed to place a table under the shelves where lamps and candles, holy water and Scriptures will be placed.

Important! The home iconostasis is a direct continuation of the altar in the temple - the same prayers are performed here, bringing you closer to the mountain regions. Therefore, images must be kept clean and great respect must be shown to them.