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Why is the cross eight-pointed. Varieties, forms and features of Orthodox crosses

Among all Christians, only Orthodox and Catholics venerate crosses and icons. They decorate the domes of churches, their houses with crosses, they wear them around the neck.

The reason why a person wears a pectoral cross is different for everyone. Someone thus pays tribute to fashion, for someone the cross is a beautiful piece of jewelry, for someone it brings good luck and is used as a talisman. But there are also those for whom the pectoral cross worn at baptism is indeed a symbol of their infinite faith.

Today, shops and church shops offer a wide variety of crosses of various shapes. However, very often not only parents who are going to baptize a child, but also sales assistants cannot explain where the Orthodox cross is and where the Catholic one is, although it is actually very simple to distinguish them.IN Catholic tradition- a quadrangular cross, with three nails. In Orthodoxy, there are four-pointed, six-pointed and eight-pointed crosses, with four nails for hands and feet.

cross shape

four-pointed cross

So, in the West, the most common is four-pointed cross. Starting from the III century, when such crosses first appeared in the Roman catacombs, the entire Orthodox East still uses this form of the cross as equal to all others.

For Orthodoxy, the shape of the cross does not really matter, much more attention is paid to what is depicted on it, however, eight-pointed and six-pointed crosses have received the greatest popularity.

Eight-pointed Orthodox cross most corresponds to the historically reliable form of the cross on which Christ was already crucified.The Orthodox cross, which is most often used by the Russian and Serbian Orthodox churches, contains, in addition to a large horizontal bar, two more. The top symbolizes the tablet on the cross of Christ with the inscription "Jesus the Nazarene, King of the Jews"(INCI, or INRI in Latin). The lower slanting crossbar - a prop for the feet of Jesus Christ symbolizes the "righteous measure", weighing the sins and virtues of all people. It is believed that it is tilted to the left side, symbolizing that the repentant robber, crucified on the right side of Christ, (first) went to heaven, and the robber, crucified on the left side, by his blasphemy of Christ, further aggravated his posthumous fate and ended up in hell. The letters IC XC are a Christogram symbolizing the name of Jesus Christ.

Saint Demetrius of Rostov writes that "when Christ the Lord carried the cross on His shoulders, then the cross was still four-pointed; because there was still no title or foot on it. There was no foot, because Christ on the cross and the soldiers had not yet been raised, not knowing where the feet would reach Christ's, did not attach a footstool, having finished it already at Calvary". Also, there was no title on the cross before the crucifixion of Christ, because, as the Gospel reports, first they “crucified Him” (John 19:18), and then only “Pilate wrote an inscription and placed it on the cross” (John 19:19 ). It was at first that the warriors “who crucified Him” (Mt. 27:35) divided “His clothes” by lot, and only then “They put an inscription over His head, signifying His guilt: This is Jesus, the King of the Jews”(Matthew 27:37).

The eight-pointed cross has long been considered the most powerful protective tool against various kinds of evil spirits, as well as visible and invisible evil.

six pointed cross

Widespread among Orthodox believers, especially during Ancient Rus', also had six-pointed cross. It also has an inclined crossbar: the lower end symbolizes unrepentant sin and the upper one is liberation by repentance.

However, not in the shape of the cross or the number of ends lies all its power. The cross is famous for the power of Christ crucified on it, and all its symbolism and miraculousness lies in this.

The variety of forms of the cross has always been recognized by the Church as quite natural. In the words of the Monk Theodore the Studite - "a cross of every form is a true cross" Andhas unearthly beauty and life-giving power.

“There is no significant difference between Latin, Catholic, Byzantine, and Orthodox crosses, as well as between any other crosses used in the service of Christians. In essence, all crosses are the same, the differences are only in form., - says the Serbian Patriarch Irinej.

crucifixion

In the Catholic and Orthodox Churches, special significance is attached not to the shape of the cross, but to the image of Jesus Christ on it.

Until the 9th century inclusive, Christ was depicted on the cross not only alive, resurrected, but also triumphant, and only in the 10th century did images of the dead Christ appear.

Yes, we know that Christ died on the cross. But we also know that He later resurrected, and that He suffered voluntarily out of love for people: to teach us to take care of the immortal soul; so that we too can be resurrected and live forever. In the Orthodox Crucifixion, this Paschal joy is always present. Therefore, on the Orthodox cross, Christ does not die, but freely stretches out his arms, the palms of Jesus are open, as if he wants to embrace all of humanity, giving them his love and opening the way to eternal life. He is not a dead body, but God, and his whole image speaks of this.

At Orthodox cross above the main horizontal bar there is another, smaller one, which symbolizes the tablet on the cross of Christ indicating the offense. Because Pontius Pilate did not find how to describe the guilt of Christ, the words appeared on the tablet "Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews" in three languages: Greek, Latin and Aramaic. In Latin in Catholicism, this inscription looks like INRI, and in Orthodoxy - IHCI(or ІНHI, “Jesus of the Nazarene, King of the Jews”). The lower oblique crossbar symbolizes a leg support. It also symbolizes two thieves crucified to the left and right of Christ. One of them repented of his sins before his death, for which he was awarded the Kingdom of Heaven. The other, before his death, blasphemed and reviled his executioners and Christ.

Above the middle crossbar are the inscriptions: "IC" "XS"- the name of Jesus Christ; and below it: "NIKA" — Winner.

On the cross-shaped halo of the Savior they necessarily wrote Greek letters UN, meaning - "Truly Existing", because "God said to Moses: I am who I am"(Ex. 3:14), thereby revealing His name, expressing the self-existence, eternity and immutability of the being of God.

In addition, the nails with which the Lord was nailed to the cross were kept in Orthodox Byzantium. And it was precisely known that there were four of them, not three. Therefore, on Orthodox crosses, the feet of Christ are nailed with two nails, each separately. The image of Christ with crossed feet, nailed with one nail, first appeared as an innovation in the West in the second half of the 13th century.

In the Catholic Crucifixion, the image of Christ has naturalistic features. Catholics depict Christ as dead, sometimes with streams of blood on his face, from wounds on his arms, legs and ribs ( stigmata). It manifests all human suffering, the torment that Jesus had to experience. His arms sag under the weight of his body. The image of Christ on the Catholic cross is plausible, but this is the image of a dead person, while there is no hint of the triumph of victory over death. The crucifixion in Orthodoxy just symbolizes this triumph. In addition, the feet of the Savior are nailed with one nail.

Meaning death on the cross Savior

The emergence of the Christian cross is associated with martyrdom Jesus Christ, which he accepted on the cross at the forced verdict of Pontius Pilate. Crucifixion was a common form of execution in Ancient Rome, borrowed from the Carthaginians - the descendants of the Phoenician colonists (it is believed that the crucifix was first used in Phoenicia). Usually thieves were sentenced to death on the cross; many early Christians, persecuted since the time of Nero, were also executed in this manner.

Before suffering Christ cross was an instrument of shame and terrible punishment. After His suffering, he became a symbol of the victory of good over evil, of life over death, a reminder of the infinite God's love, a subject of joy. The incarnated Son of God sanctified the cross with His blood and made it a vehicle of His grace, a source of sanctification for believers.

From the Orthodox dogma of the Cross (or Atonement), the idea undoubtedly follows that the death of the Lord is the ransom of all, the calling of all peoples. Only the cross, unlike other executions, made it possible for Jesus Christ to die with outstretched arms calling "to all the ends of the earth" (Isaiah 45:22).

Reading the Gospels, we are convinced that the feat of the Cross of the God-man is central event in his earthly life. By His sufferings on the Cross, He washed away our sins, covered our debt to God, or, in the language of Scripture, "redeemed" us (ransomed us). In Golgotha lies the incomprehensible mystery of the infinite truth and love of God.

The Son of God voluntarily took upon Himself the guilt of all people and suffered for it a shameful and most painful death on the cross; then on the third day he rose again as the conqueror of hell and death.

Why was it necessary to cleanse the sins of mankind just like this? terrible sacrifice and was it possible to save people in another, less painful way?

The Christian doctrine of the death of the God-man on the cross is often a "stumbling block" for people with already established religious and philosophical concepts. Both many Jews and people of the Greek culture of apostolic times seemed contradictory to say that the almighty and eternal god descended to earth in the form of a mortal man, voluntarily endured beatings, spitting and a shameful death, that this feat could bring spiritual benefit to mankind. "This is impossible!"- objected one; "It is not necessary!" others argued.

The Holy Apostle Paul in his epistle to the Corinthians says: “Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in the wisdom of the word, so as not to abolish the cross of Christ. For the word of the cross is foolishness for those who are perishing, but for us who are being saved it is the power of God. Where is the wise man, where is the scribe, where is the questioner of this world? Has not God turned the wisdom of this world into foolishness? and the Greeks seek wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, for the Jews a stumbling block, and for the Greeks foolishness, for the very called ones, Jews and Greeks, Christ, the power of God and God's wisdom" (1 Corinthians 1:17-24).

In other words, the apostle explained that what in Christianity was perceived by some as temptation and madness, is in fact the work of the greatest Divine wisdom and omnipotence. The truth of the atoning death and resurrection of the Savior is the foundation for many other Christian truths, for example, about the sanctification of believers, about the sacraments, about the meaning of suffering, about virtues, about achievement, about the goal of life, about the coming judgment and resurrection of the dead and others.

At the same time, the atoning death of Christ, being an event inexplicable in terms of earthly logic and even "seductive for those who perish," has a regenerating power that the believing heart feels and strives for. Renewed and warmed by this spiritual power, both the last slaves and the most powerful kings bowed with trepidation before Golgotha; both dark ignoramuses and the greatest scientists. After the descent of the Holy Spirit, the apostles personal experience became convinced of the great spiritual blessings brought to them by the atoning death and resurrection of the Savior, and they shared this experience with their disciples.

(The mystery of the redemption of mankind is closely connected with a number of important religious and psychological factors. Therefore, in order to understand the mystery of the redemption, it is necessary:

a) to understand what actually is the sinful damage of a person and the weakening of his will to resist evil;

b) it is necessary to understand how the devil's will, thanks to sin, got the opportunity to influence and even captivate the human will;

c) one must understand the mysterious power of love, its ability to positively influence a person and ennoble him. At the same time, if love reveals itself most of all in sacrificial service to one's neighbor, then there is no doubt that giving one's life for him is the highest manifestation of love;

d) one must rise from understanding the power of human love to understanding the power of Divine love and how it penetrates the soul of a believer and transforms his inner world;

e) in addition, in the atoning death of the Savior there is a side that goes beyond human world, namely: On the cross there was a battle between God and the proud Dennitsa, in which God, hiding under the guise of weak flesh, emerged victorious. The details of this spiritual battle and Divine victory remain a mystery to us. Even Angels, according to ap. Peter, do not fully understand the mystery of redemption (1 Pet. 1:12). She is a sealed book that only the Lamb of God could open (Rev. 5:1-7)).

In Orthodox asceticism, there is such a thing as bearing one's cross, that is, the patient fulfillment of Christian commandments throughout the life of a Christian. All difficulties, both external and internal, are called "cross." Each bears his life's cross. The Lord said this about the need for personal achievement: "Whoever does not take up his cross (turns away from the feat) and follows Me (calls himself a Christian), he is not worthy of Me"(Matthew 10:38).

“The cross is the guardian of the whole universe. The Cross is the beauty of the Church, the Cross is the power of the kings, the Cross is the faithful affirmation, the Cross is the glory of the angel, the Cross is the plague of the demon,- affirms the absolute Truth of the luminaries of the feast of the Exaltation of the Life-Giving Cross.

The motives for the outrageous desecration and blasphemy of the Holy Cross by conscious crusaders and crusaders are quite understandable. But when we see Christians drawn into this heinous deed, it is all the more impossible to be silent, for, according to the words of St. Basil the Great, “God is given up in silence”!

Differences between the Catholic and Orthodox cross

Thus, there are the following differences between the Catholic cross and the Orthodox:

most often has an eight-pointed or six-pointed shape. - four-pointed.

Words on a tablet on the crosses are the same, only written in different languages: Latin INRI(in the case of a Catholic cross) and Slavic-Russian IHCI(on an Orthodox cross).

Another fundamental position is the position of the feet on the Crucifixion and the number of nails. The feet of Jesus Christ are located together on the Catholic Crucifix, and each is nailed separately on the Orthodox cross.

different is image of the Savior on the cross. On the Orthodox cross, God is depicted, who opened the way to eternal life, and on the Catholic one, a person experiencing torment.

Material prepared by Sergey Shulyak

CROSS. CRUCIFICATION. THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE CROSS DEATH OF CHRIST. THE DIFFERENCE OF THE ORTHODOX CROSS FROM THE CATHOLIC CROSS.

Among all Christians, only Orthodox and Catholics venerate crosses and icons. They decorate the domes of churches, their houses with crosses, they wear them around the neck. As for the Protestants, they do not recognize such a symbol as the cross and do not wear it. The cross for Protestants is a symbol of a shameful execution, a tool by which the Savior was not only hurt, but also killed.

The reason why a person wears is different for everyone. Someone thus pays tribute to fashion, for someone the cross is a beautiful piece of jewelry, for someone it brings good luck and is used as a talisman. But there are also those for whom the pectoral cross worn at baptism is indeed a symbol of their infinite faith.

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE SAVIOR'S DEATH ON THE CROSS

As is known, the emergence of the Christian cross is associated with the martyrdom of Jesus Christ, which he accepted on the cross under the forced sentence of Pontius Pilate. Crucifixion was a common method of execution in ancient Rome, borrowed from the Carthaginians, the descendants of the Phoenician colonists (it is believed that crucifixion was first used in Phoenicia). Usually thieves were sentenced to death on the cross; many early Christians, persecuted since the time of Nero, were also executed in this manner.

Before the sufferings of Christ, the cross was an instrument of shame and terrible punishment. After His suffering, he became a symbol of the victory of good over evil, life over death, a reminder of God's infinite love, an object of joy. The incarnated Son of God sanctified the cross with His blood and made it a vehicle of His grace, a source of sanctification for believers.

From the Orthodox dogma of the Cross (or Atonement), the idea undoubtedly follows that the death of the Lord is the ransom of all , the calling of all peoples. Only the cross, unlike other executions, made it possible for Jesus Christ to die with outstretched arms calling "to all the ends of the earth"(Isaiah 45:22).

Reading the Gospels, we are convinced that the feat of the cross of the God-man is the central event in His earthly life. By His sufferings on the Cross, He washed away our sins, covered our debt to God, or, in the language of Scripture, "redeemed" us (ransomed us). In Golgotha lies the incomprehensible mystery of the infinite truth and love of God.

Why was such a terrible Sacrifice needed to cleanse the sins of mankind, and was it possible to save people in another, less painful way?

The Christian doctrine of the death of the God-man on the cross is often a "stumbling block" for people with already established religious and philosophical concepts. Both many Jews and people of the Greek culture of apostolic times found it contradictory to say that Almighty and eternal God descended to earth in the form of a mortal man, voluntarily endured beatings, spitting and shameful death that this feat could bring spiritual benefit to mankind. "This is impossible!"- objected one; "It is not necessary!" others argued.

The Holy Apostle Paul in his epistle to the Corinthians says: “Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in the wisdom of the word, so as not to abolish the cross of Christ. For the word of the cross is foolishness for those who are perishing, but for us who are being saved, it is the power of God. Where is the wise man, where is the scribe, where is the questioner of this world? Has not God turned the wisdom of this world into foolishness? and the Greeks seek wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, for the Jews a stumbling block, and for the Greeks foolishness, for the very called ones, Jews and Greeks, Christ, God's power and God's wisdom"(1 Corinthians 1:17-24).

In other words, the apostle explained that what in Christianity was perceived by some as temptation and madness, in fact, is a matter of the greatest Divine wisdom and omnipotence. The truth of the atoning death and resurrection of the Savior is the foundation for many other Christian truths, for example, about the sanctification of believers, about the sacraments, about the meaning of suffering, about virtues, about achievement, about the goal of life, about the coming judgment and resurrection of the dead and others.

Wherein, redemptive death of Christ, being an event inexplicable in terms of earthly logic and even "seductive for those who are perishing," has a regenerating power that the believing heart feels and longs for. Renewed and warmed by this spiritual power, both the last slaves and the most powerful kings bowed with trepidation before Golgotha; both dark ignoramuses and the greatest scientists. After the descent of the Holy Spirit, the apostles became convinced by personal experience of what great spiritual benefits the atoning death and resurrection of the Savior brought them, and they shared this experience with their disciples.

a) to understand what actually is the sinful damage of a person and the weakening of his will to resist evil;

b) it is necessary to understand how the devil's will, thanks to sin, got the opportunity to influence and even captivate the human will;

d) one must rise from understanding the power of human love to understanding the power of Divine love and how it penetrates the soul of a believer and transforms his inner world;

e) in addition, in the atoning death of the Savior there is a side that goes beyond the limits of the human world, namely: On the cross there was a battle between God and the proud Dennitsa, in which God, hiding under the guise of weak flesh, emerged victorious. The details of this spiritual battle and Divine victory remain a mystery to us. Even Angels, according to ap. Peter, do not fully understand the mystery of redemption (1 Pet. 1:12). She is a sealed book that only the Lamb of God could open (Rev. 5:1-7)).

FORM OF THE CROSS

four-pointed cross

Today, shops and church shops offer a wide variety of crosses of various shapes. However, very often not only parents who are going to baptize a child, but also sales assistants cannot explain where the Orthodox cross is and where the Catholic one is, although it is actually very simple to distinguish them.In the Catholic tradition - a quadrangular cross, with three nails. In Orthodoxy, there are four-pointed, six-pointed and eight-pointed crosses, with four nails for hands and feet.

So, in the West, the most common is four-pointed cross . Starting from the III century, when such crosses first appeared in the Roman catacombs, the entire Orthodox East still uses this form of the cross as equal to all others.

For Orthodoxy, the shape of the cross does not really matter, much more attention is paid to what is depicted on it., however, eight-pointed and six-pointed crosses received the greatest popularity.

Saint Demetrius of Rostov writes that “When Christ the Lord carried the cross on His shoulders, then the cross was still four-pointed; because there was still no title or footstool on it. There was no footstool, because Christ had not yet been lifted up on the cross, and the soldiers, not knowing where Christ's feet would reach, did not attach footstools, finishing it already at Golgotha.. Also, there was no title on the cross before the crucifixion of Christ, because, as the Gospel reports, first they “crucified Him” (John 19:18), and then only “Pilate wrote an inscription and placed it on the cross” (John 19:19 ). It was at first that the warriors “who crucified Him” (Mt. 27:35) divided “His clothes” by lot, and only then “They put an inscription over His head, signifying His guilt: This is Jesus, the King of the Jews”(Matthew 27:37).

The eight-pointed cross has long been considered the most powerful protective tool against various kinds of evil spirits, as well as visible and invisible evil.

six pointed cross

Widespread among Orthodox believers, especially in the days of Ancient Rus', was also six-pointed cross . It also has sloping crossbar: the lower end symbolizes unrepentant sin, and the upper one - liberation by repentance.

However not in the shape of the cross or the number of ends lies all its power. The cross is famous for the power of Christ crucified on it, and all its symbolism and miraculousness lies in this.

The variety of forms of the cross has always been recognized by the Church as quite natural. In the words of the Monk Theodore the Studite - "a cross of every form is a true cross" Andhas unearthly beauty and life-giving power.

CRUCIFICATION

In the Catholic and Orthodox Churches, special significance is attached not to the shape of the cross, but to the image of Jesus Christ on it.

Until the 9th century inclusive, Christ was depicted on the cross not only alive, resurrected, but also triumphant, and only in the 10th century did images of the dead Christ appear.

Yes, we know that Christ died on the cross. But we also know that He later resurrected, and that He suffered voluntarily out of love for people: to teach us to take care of the immortal soul; so that we too can be resurrected and live forever. In the Orthodox Crucifixion, this Paschal joy is always present. That's why on the Orthodox cross, Christ does not die, but freely stretches out his arms, the palms of Jesus are open, as if he wants to embrace all of humanity, giving them his love and opening the way to eternal life. He is not a dead body, but God, and his whole image speaks of this.

The Orthodox cross above the main horizontal bar has another, smaller one, which symbolizes the tablet on the cross of Christ indicating the offense. Because Pontius Pilate did not find how to describe the guilt of Christ, the words appeared on the tablet "Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews" in three languages: Greek, Latin and Aramaic. In Latin in Catholicism, this inscription looks like INRI, and in Orthodoxy - IHCI(or ІНHI, “Jesus of the Nazarene, King of the Jews”). The lower oblique crossbar symbolizes footrest. She also symbolizes two thieves crucified to the left and right of Christ. One of them repented of his sins before his death, for which he was awarded the Kingdom of Heaven. The other, before his death, blasphemed and reviled his executioners and Christ.

Above the middle crossbar are the inscriptions: "IC" "XS" - the name of Jesus Christ; and below it: "NIKA" — Winner.

Greek letters were necessarily written on the cross-shaped halo of the Savior UN, meaning - "Truly Existing" , because "God said to Moses: I am who I am"(Ex. 3:14), thereby revealing His name, expressing the self-existence, eternity and immutability of the being of God.

In addition, the nails with which the Lord was nailed to the cross were kept in Orthodox Byzantium. And it was precisely known that there were four of them, not three. That's why on Orthodox crosses, the feet of Christ are nailed with two nails, each separately. The image of Christ with crossed feet, nailed with one nail, first appeared as an innovation in the West in the second half of the 13th century.

In the Catholic Crucifixion the image of Christ has naturalistic features. Catholics depict Christ dead, sometimes with streams of blood on his face, from wounds on his arms, legs and ribs ( stigmata). It manifests all human suffering, the torment that Jesus had to experience. His arms sag under the weight of his body. The image of Christ on the Catholic cross is plausible, but this is the image of a dead person, while there is no hint of the triumph of victory over death. The crucifixion in Orthodoxy just symbolizes this triumph. In addition, the feet of the Savior are nailed with one nail.

Differences between the Catholic and Orthodox cross

Thus, there are the following differences between the Catholic cross and the Orthodox:

most often has an eight-pointed or six-pointed shape. - four-pointed.
Words on a tablet on the crosses are the same, only written in different languages: Latin INRI(in the case of a Catholic cross) and Slavic-Russian IHCI(on an Orthodox cross).
Another fundamental position is the position of the feet on the Crucifixion and the number of nails . The feet of Jesus Christ are located together on the Catholic Crucifix, and each is nailed separately on the Orthodox cross.
different is image of the Savior on the cross . On the Orthodox cross, God is depicted, who opened the way to eternal life, and on the Catholic one, a person experiencing torment.

Material prepared by Sergey Shulyak

for the Temple Life-Giving Trinity on Sparrow Hills

The cross is a very ancient symbol. What did he symbolize before the death of the Savior on the cross? Which cross is considered more correct - Orthodox or Catholic four-pointed ("kryzh"). What is the reason for the image of Jesus Christ on the cross with crossed feet among Catholics and separate feet in the Orthodox tradition.

Hieromonk Adrian (Pashin) answers:

In different religious traditions, the cross symbolized different concepts. One of the most common is the meeting of our world with the spiritual world. For the Jewish people, from the moment of Roman domination, the cross, crucifixion was a method of shameful, cruel execution and caused overwhelming fear and horror, but, thanks to Christ the Victor, it became a welcome trophy that evoked joyful feelings. Therefore, St. Hippolytus of Rome, the Apostolic man, exclaimed: “And the Church has her own trophy over death - this is the Cross of Christ, which she bears on herself,” and St. Paul, the Apostle of the Gentiles, wrote in his Epistle: “I want to boast ... only by the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Gal. 6:14).

In the West, the most common now is the four-pointed cross (Fig. 1), which the Old Believers call (for some reason in Polish) “Kryzh Latin” or “Rymsky”, which means the Roman cross. According to the Gospel, the execution of the cross was distributed throughout the Empire by the Romans and, of course, was considered Roman. “And not according to the number of trees, not according to the number of ends, the Cross of Christ is revered by us, but according to Christ Himself, Whose holy blood was stained with,” says St. Dmitry of Rostov. “And manifesting miraculous power, any cross does not act by itself, but by the power of Christ crucified on it and the invocation of His most holy name.”

Starting from the III century, when such crosses first appeared in the Roman catacombs, the entire Orthodox East still uses this form of the cross as equal to all others.

The eight-pointed Orthodox cross (Fig. 2) most closely matches the historically reliable form of the cross on which Christ was already crucified, as Tertullian, St. Irenaeus of Lyons, St. Justin the Philosopher and others testify. “And when Christ the Lord carried a cross on His shoulders, then the cross was still four-pointed; because there was still no title or footstool on it. There was no footstool, because Christ had not yet been lifted up on the cross, and the soldiers, not knowing where Christ's feet would reach, did not attach footstools, finishing it already at Golgotha" (St. Dimitry of Rostov). Also, there was no title on the cross before the crucifixion of Christ, because, as the Gospel reports, first they “crucified Him” (John 19, 18), and then only “Pilate wrote an inscription and placed it on the cross” (John 19, 19 ). It was at first that the soldiers “crucified Him” (Mt. 27:35) divided “His clothes” by lot, and only then “they placed an inscription over His head, signifying His guilt: This is Jesus, the King of the Jews” (Mt. 27, 37).

Since ancient times, images of the crucifixion of the Savior have also been known. Until the 9th century inclusive, Christ was depicted on the cross not only alive, resurrected, but also triumphant (Fig. 3), and only in the 10th century did images of the dead Christ appear (Fig. 4).

Since ancient times, crucifixion crosses, both in the East and in the West, had a crossbar to support the feet of the Crucified, and His legs were depicted as nailed each separately with their own nail (Fig. 3). The image of Christ with crossed feet, nailed with one nail (Fig. 4), first appeared as an innovation in the West in the second half of the 13th century.

From the Orthodox dogma of the Cross (or Redemption) undoubtedly follows the idea that the death of the Lord is the ransom of all, the calling of all peoples. Only the cross, unlike other executions, gave Jesus Christ the opportunity to die with outstretched arms calling "to all the ends of the earth" (Isaiah 45:22).

Therefore, in the tradition of Orthodoxy, it is to portray the Savior Almighty precisely as the already Resurrected Crusader, holding and calling the whole universe into His arms and bearing the New Testament altar - the Cross.

And the traditionally Catholic image of the crucifixion, with Christ sagging in his arms, on the contrary, has the task of showing how it all happened, depicting the suffering and death before death, and not at all what is essentially the eternal Fruit of the Cross - His triumph.

Orthodoxy invariably teaches that suffering is necessary for all sinners for their humble assimilation of the Fruit of Redemption - the Holy Spirit sent by the sinless Redeemer, which, out of pride, Catholics do not understand, who, with their sinful sufferings, seek participation in the sinless, and therefore redemptive Passion of Christ and thereby fall into the heresy of the Crusades. "self-rescue".

The cross of the Old Believers is one of the symbols of faith, which is used for worship, baptism and other religious procedures. The eight-pointed cross differs from the usual Orthodox one. modern church does not use the eight-pointed cross after Nikon's reform, but the Old Believers or schismatics, as they were called in the old days, continue to use just such a cross, not paying attention to the reforms carried out.

History of persecution

It all started quite a long time ago, it is noteworthy that the split of the church caused the death of a large number of people who supported the old faith. But, despite this, the Old Believers were able to survive executions, public reprisals and catastrophically high taxes. The Old Believers still exist, only in Russia there are about two million of them.

Vest of the Old Believer

In 1650-1660 the church split into two camps. The reason for this was reform. Some took ignorance for granted, others began to believe that the reform was trying to impose on them an alien faith that had nothing to do with Orthodoxy.

The church reform of Nikon and Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, in fact, divided the people and became the cause of serious disagreements. As a result, disputes turned into active actions, which led to massive repressions against those people who did not support innovations.

Nikon's reforms began in 1653, the reaction to the activities of the metropolitan was not long in coming. In 1656, at the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church a significant event took place: all those who were baptized with two fingers were declared heretics. The cross was replaced, and books, scrolls, and other symbols were to be destroyed. All those who continue to be baptized with two fingers and profess the old faith will be excommunicated and anathematized.

Not everyone agreed with this decision, the disagreements that arose led to the fact that faith was under threat. The country could plunge into a religious war. The situation was aggravated by the actions of the clergy, who independently escalated the situation. Wishing to subordinate the Old Believers to their will, they adopted a document called "12 Articles".

Mass executions and reprisals against the Old Believers began after the Pomeranian gathering, Queen Sophia did not succeed in influencing the situation. However, the country was in a precarious position, and religious executions and forgeries only aggravated the situation. The “12 articles” did not resolve the situation, after their release a series of forgeries appeared, lies and confusion led to the fact that thousands of innocent citizens were executed, priests also suffered.

Despite the fact that books, scrolls and the Old Believers themselves were subjected to persecution, public executions, they managed to survive the Time of Troubles. The situation was resolved with the coming to power of Peter the Great. The emperor treated the Old Believers relatively loyally. He allowed them to exist and canceled the "12 articles". But this existence was semi-legal.

In law:

Marriages of Old Believers were considered illegal.
Old Believers were forbidden to hold high positions.
Baptism was considered illegal.
Children born in a marriage with the Old Believers were considered illegitimate.

In addition, all those who deviated from religion had to pay a double tax. If a person evaded paying the tax, then he could be executed, tortured or sent to hard labor.

Old Believer eight-pointed cross

Despite the fact that the Old Believers were still subjected to repression, their weakening made it possible to save many people's lives. In order to preserve their habitual way of life, to avoid censure and taxes, many believers went to the forests or immigrated. This allowed them not only to continue to live normally, but also to legalize marriages. In the territories of a large number of countries, the Old Believers lived in communities, built houses and churches.

According to some reports, in the 19th century, the Old Believers were a third of the entire population of the Russian Empire.

In 1846, thanks to the efforts of Metropolitan Ambrose, it was possible to alleviate the situation in the country, the authorities made certain compromises, as a result of which common faith was introduced. On the territory of Austria-Hungary, the Old Believers managed to restore the diocese. But not everyone accepted the metropolitan and his decisions, some of the Old Believers began to consider him a heretic who wants to influence them and destroy the religion.

In 1883, some indulgences were achieved for the Old Believers, they were allowed to hold public office. Later, in 1905, a decree was issued that partially abolished restrictions on citizens who were baptized with two fingers and used an eight-pointed cross.

The authorities of the USSR treated the representatives of this religious trend relatively favorably. Despite the fact that the Bolsheviks did not accept faith and God, they had no particular complaints about the Old Believers. While clergy throughout the country feared for their lives, churches were destroyed and robbed, icons were burned and sold, the Old Believers lived relatively calmly.

Second world war some Old Believers, in spite of everything, rushed to defend their homeland from enemies, while others preferred to hide in the forests.

When hard labor, high taxes and executions were a thing of the past, many Old Believers decided to return to Russia. Today there are several large settlements that are located on the territory of our country, in which people live by farming, farming, harvesting, go to church and are still baptized with two fingers.

Symbolism and features

One of the symbols of the Old Believers is the eight-pointed cross, the four-pointed and six-pointed creeds are considered inferior. According to legend, it was such a cross that Queen Elena discovered on Mount Golgotha.

So, what does this symbol indicate:

contains, in addition to the large crossbar, two more;
the upper bar symbolizes the tablet on the cross with the name of Christ on which he was crucified;
the bottom bar is for the feet of Jesus;
on the upper crossbar there is an inscription "Jesus of the Nazarene, King of the Jews."

With the lower crossbar, which is designed for the legs, everything is more difficult. According to legend, if the left edge of the lower crossbar is raised, then this indicates that the sinner repented, and his sins and righteous deeds, when immersed on the scales, allowed him to be sent to paradise. If the edge of the crossbar looks down, then the sinner did not repent of his sins during the crucifixion, did not ask for forgiveness from God, and thereby aggravated his sins and went to hell.

Such crosses with three crossbars are used only by the Old Believers; in the modern Orthodox Church, a four-pointed cross is used during liturgies and services. It does not have a footrest and a sign with an inscription.

According to the legend, when Jesus was crucified on the cross, one of the criminals began to mock him. He said, "If you are God, then set us free." And another criminal said: "He is innocent and convicted by mistake, and we are the real criminals." The criminal who told the truth was sent to heaven. This is evidenced by the lower leg support, the edge of which has risen.

Starting from 1577, the eight-pointed cross was placed on the coat of arms of the Russian state, the situation changed in 1625 even before Nikon's reforms: it was decided to replace the cross with a third crown.

And you can also find images that were used in the war: it was the eight-pointed cross of red, green or blue that was depicted on the banners. But such banners are also attributed to the 1630s; after the reform, banners with similar crosses were no longer used.

There is another kind of religious symbol - this is the cross of Golgotha, a monastic symbol. It is an eight-pointed cross placed on the symbolic image of Mount Golgotha, which most often looks like several steps. That is, the cross is placed on the steps, on one side there is a spear, on the other - there is a cane with a sponge.

The symbol is inscribed:

Above the middle crossbar ІС ХС - the name of Jesus Christ.
Below it is the Greek inscription Nika - Winner.
SN BZHIY - the inscription on the tablet or near it (can be replaced by the abbreviation ІНЦІ - Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews).
The inscription above the tablet: TsR SLVY - the King of Glory.
And also there are two letters K and T, which stand for a cane and a spear with a sponge.

In the 16th century, a tradition appeared in Rus', which consisted in the fact that additional letters were placed near the image of Golgotha.

M L R B - the place of the frontal was crucified; G G - Mount Golgotha; G A is the head of Adamov. It was also customary to depict bones and a skull under the steps. In Rus', these images have changed a little.

Currently, the cross from Mount Calvary is not widespread, it is quite difficult to meet it.

You can see the eight-pointed crosses not only at the liturgy and divine services, but also at the cemeteries of the Old Believers.

The Old Believers have a few more features that are worth mentioning, in addition to the cross: believers bow to the ground, like Muslims, to the ground. When making a bow, the believer should touch the ground with his knees and forehead. Such bows are preferred only by the Old Believers. When believers pray, they touch with their knees and foreheads not the ground, of course, but the prayer rug.

Another feature of the worship of the Old Believers is singing. Before Nikon's reform, all churches sang with one voice during divine services. The singing remains monotonous, melodic. Regardless of how many people are involved in singing, the voices must merge into one voice, one melody.

But due to the large number of vowels, it can be difficult to understand what they are singing about during worship.

There are several other features that distinguish the faith of the Old Believers from the modern Orthodox faith:

writing the name Jesus without an additional letter "I" (that is, the name is written with one letter "I", and not in the Greek manner with two letters);
believers use old terms and adhere to the old spelling of words;
the baptism of children takes place with a complete three-fold immersion in water;
divine services are held according to the Jerusalem Rule;
the safety of the actions that are performed during the ceremony is noted.

Undoubtedly, the eight-pointed cross can be considered a vivid religious symbol of the Old Believers. It is placed on the domes of churches, worn on the body and placed as a monument on the grave of the deceased. But the traditions of the Old Believers, their manner of life and behavior have undergone certain changes over time. Despite all the events, people managed to survive difficult times and maintain their faith.

In Orthodoxy, a six-pointed crucifix is considered canonical: a vertical line is crossed by three transverse ones, one of them (lower) is oblique. The upper horizontal bar (the shortest of the three transverse ones) symbolizes a tablet with an inscription in three languages (Greek, Latin and Hebrew): "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews." This tablet, by order of Pontius Pilate, was nailed to the Cross of the Lord before the crucifixion.

The middle, shifted closer to the upper (longest) crossbar, is a direct part of the Cross - the hands of the Savior were nailed to it.

The lower oblique crossbar is a support for the legs. Unlike Catholics, in Orthodoxy on the Crucifix both legs of the Savior are shown with pierced nails. This tradition is confirmed by studies of the Shroud of Turin - a board in which the body of the crucified Lord Jesus Christ was wrapped.

It is worth adding that the oblique shape of the lower crossbar carries a certain symbolic meaning. The raised end of this crossbar rushes up to the sky, thereby symbolizing the robber crucified on right hand from the Savior, who, already on the cross, repented and entered with the Lord into the Kingdom of Heaven. The other end of the crossbar, facing down, symbolizes the second robber, crucified by left hand from the Savior who blasphemed the Lord and did not receive forgiveness. The state of the soul of this thief is the state of God-forsakenness, hell.

There is another version of the Orthodox Crucifixion, the so-called full or Athos cross. It carries even more symbolic meanings. Its peculiarity is that certain letters are inscribed above the canonical six-pointed Cross.

What do the inscriptions on the cross mean?

Above the topmost crossbar is inscribed: "IS" - Jesus and "XC" - Christ. A little lower, along the edges of the middle crossbar: "SN" - the Son and "BZHIY" - God. Under the middle crossbar there are two inscriptions at once. Along the edges: "TSR" - the Tsar and "SLAVY" - Glory, and in the center - "NIKA" (translated from Greek - victory). This word means that by His suffering and death on the Cross, the Lord Jesus Christ conquered death and atoned for human sins.

On the sides of the Crucifixion are depicted a spear and a cane with a sponge, designated, respectively, by the letters "K" and "T". As we know from the Gospel, they pierced the Lord's right side with a spear, and on a cane they offered Him a sponge with vinegar in order to reduce His pain. The Lord refused to ease His suffering. Below, the Crucifixion is depicted standing on a base - a small elevation, which symbolizes Mount Golgotha, on which the Lord was crucified.

Inside the mountain is depicted the skull and crossbones of the forefather Adam. In accordance with this, on the sides of the elevation is inscribed - "ML" and "RB" - Place of the Execution and Crucified Byst, as well as two letters "G" - Golgotha. Inside Calvary, on the sides of the skull, the letters "G" and "A" are placed - the head of Adam.

The image of the remains of Adam has a certain symbolic meaning. The Lord, being crucified, sheds His blood on the remains of Adam, thereby washing, cleansing him from the fall he committed in paradise. Together with Adam, the sins of all mankind are washed away. A circle with thorns is also depicted in the center of the crucifix - this is a symbol of the crown of thorns, which was put on the head of the Lord Jesus Christ by Roman soldiers.

Orthodox cross with crescent

It is also worth mentioning another form of the Orthodox cross. In this case, the cross has a crescent at its base. Such crosses very often crown the domes of Orthodox churches.

According to one version, the cross emerging from the crescent symbolizes the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ. In the Eastern tradition, the crescent is often considered a symbol Mother of God- just as the cross is considered a symbol of Jesus Christ.

Another interpretation explains the crescent as a symbol of the Eucharistic cup with the blood of the Lord, from which, in fact, the Cross of the Lord is born. There is another interpretation regarding the cross emerging from the crescent.

This interpretation proposes to understand this as a victory (or exaltation, advantage) of Christianity over Islam. However, studies have shown that this interpretation is incorrect, since the very form of such a cross appeared much earlier than the 6th century, when, in fact, Islam arose.