Manufacturing of home iconostases, icon cases, shelves for icons. Homemade shelf for icons
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 far corner at home in the East. This place was the most illuminated, since the two walls forming it had windows through which many people passed. sunlight.
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 make 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 "east" has 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 to any household appliances, which is considered a futile work of modernization and does 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 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. IN holidays, By church calendar, the candle flame can burn for a whole day.
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 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. On 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. He always took 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 best assistant the priest is in the case. 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 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 must remember the principle 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 with right side from the upcoming believer, and the canvas with the face of the Virgin Mary is 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.
DIY iconostasis
The arrangement of icons in the home iconostasis today is done as the believer wants.
However, there is certain rules, which 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. 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.
- For self-made Any materials are suitable.
- The first step is to make drawings of the cabinet.
- You should remember the distance between the shelves of the iconostasis, because they can ignite from burning candles.
- 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.
Video on how to place an iconostasis in your home
A person who has little understanding of the intricacies of religion is unlikely to see differences in interior decoration modern Old Believer and New Believer churches. But the decoration of the home Old Believer prayer room is strikingly different from what can be seen in the red corner of a parishioner of the Moscow Patriarchate.
As the New Ritual missionary Fr. once correctly noted. Andrey Kuraev, the home iconostases of the children of the dominant confession have ceased to be Christ-centered. It is almost impossible to find an icon of Christ in them, but a place of honor is occupied by impressively sized icons of Seraphim of Sarov, Ambrose of Optina, John of Kronstadt and other revered elders.
Features of the location of the home iconostasis among the Old Believers
Old Belief, even in all its popular manifestations, has always remained Christ-centered. In the center of the Orthodox, Old Believer iconostasis there is always an icon of the Savior or a cross with a crucifix. The placement of other icons in a home iconostasis is, as a rule, arbitrary, since at home it is not always possible to assemble a complete church iconostasis.
However, most Christians follow the rule of arranging icons according to their status. Next to the central icon of Christ, icons of the Most Holy Theotokos, the Holy Prophet and the Forerunner of the Lord John are usually placed, then there are saints, saints, etc.
What you should know when purchasing an icon or ordering an icon painter
Today it is not difficult to order or purchase icons of canonical writing. Of course, they are not cheap, but we must remember that such a sacred image is acquired for life and will be passed on to descendants. When ordering icons from New Believer icon painters, we should not forget that even the best of them, who know how to paint in the required canonical manner, are extremely inattentive to details and often make annoying mistakes in the placement of hands, the symbolism of details, clothing and vestments, etc. You should be especially attentive to inscriptions. It is not uncommon to see the works of modern New Believer icon painters, including “accurate” copies of ancient icons with the inscriptions “Jesus” (should be “Jesus”), “David” (should be “Davyd”), “Nicholas” (should be “Nikola”) , which, of course, were not on the originals.
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Old Believer and New Believer writing (left and right, respectively)
If funds do not yet allow you to order or buy a painted icon, then the best way out the situation will become the acquisition of copper, cast icons. Moreover, the choice of castings today is very rich, and the most expensive and high-quality cast icons are cheaper than the cheapest painted ones. There is also a market ancient icons. However, their prices limit their use in home prayers.
How best to place icons at home
As for the home placement of icons, they are placed on shelves specially made for this purpose, or less often - “tyabla” (cornices with cutouts for the base of icons). The custom of hanging icons “on a nail” is considered a not entirely pious heterodox trend. IN late XIX centuries, the so-called “corners”, cabinets with three icons: the Savior, Holy Mother of God and a saint (prophet and forerunner John, St. Nicholas, etc.), located one above the other.
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Options for cabinets for icons (cases)
Despite the graceful appearance Such corners, their arrangement cannot be called satisfactory for use in a home prayer room. It is inconvenient to light candles in front of such a corner and there is no way to add new icons.
Icons in the house must be placed in a specially designated place. There is a tradition of placing icons on a shelf on the eastern wall, however, if this is not possible, then it is not necessary to arrange a home iconostasis on the eastern side. Sometimes icons are placed in the so-called red corner. "Red" means "beautiful" - this is an indication that the place for the icons should be clean, neat and beautiful.
Holy images can be placed in all living rooms. There is a pious tradition of placing wedding images in the bedroom. If the family is large, then icons in each living room are necessary for cell prayer for all family members.
For pious believers, holy images (or at least one small icon) are located in the kitchen. This is explained by the practice of saying prayers before and after eating food.
Holy icons should not be placed on a shelf with books that have non-Christian content. It is not advisable to place them on TV or together with secular paintings - the place for icons should be specially designated for this shrine.
Some believers place an icon above the entrance to their house. Often at this place you can see the image of the Most Holy Theotokos Hodegetria the Guide, since it is useful for an Orthodox believer to pray for help in good endeavors before going out. Sometimes a cross is placed above the entrance to the house.
How to arrange icons in the house
The principle of arranging icons on a home iconostasis is based on hierarchy, similar to the arrangement of iconostases in a temple. If the icons are located on the wall, then in the center at the head of the iconostasis there should be an icon of the Holy Trinity or the Lord Jesus Christ. To the right of this image you can place an icon of the Mother of God, and to the left of St. John the Baptist or a particularly revered saint, for example, St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. Below you can place other images - angels, saints, prophets, saints, righteous ones. A crucifix can crown a home iconostasis.
It cannot be said that there are any specific instructions on the order of placement of icons in the home iconostasis (except that the Lord is desirable in a central place).
If space allows, then under the main icons of the Lord and the Virgin Mary you can place holy images of the twelve Christian holidays. In the case when the home iconostasis includes several dozen icons, then under the central images you can also place shrines with the faces of the Savior or revered icons of the Mother of God and saints.
Is it possible to make shelves for icons yourself? What materials are better to choose? Let's try to figure this issue out together. Slavic Orthodox traditions allow the use of icons to decorate living space. This tradition testifies to people’s desire for religion and respect for church rituals and traditions.
As a home iconostasis for placing icons, you can consider a corner shelf for icons, as well as various church items. The canons of Orthodoxy suggest the installation of the main icons in the corner or on the eastern wall of the room.
Attention! In addition to Orthodox items, shelves for icons should not be loaded with other items.
Let's try to figure out how to make corner shelves for icons.
Creating shelves for icons
For work related to the creation of shelves for icons, you need special tools for woodworking: drill, lathe, milling cutter, jigsaw.
The materials needed to make shelves for icons include boards from any wood, pieces of slabs, wax or varnish, silver and black paints, and wood glue. Component materials and hardware require carved slats, a metal or wooden crucifix. Screws and original plugs are suitable as fastening elements. To secure the product to the wall, you need hinges and dowels.
Some of the carved elements can be made with your own hands. For example, start making carved elements and original shelf parts. The crucifix, which is the center of the icon, is made only in carved form.
Advice! Such details for placing icons are made by craftsmen, and some people also create them industrial enterprises, church shops.
In addition to such details, corner shelf for icons there should be a back wall in the form of a carved iconostasis. Carving is done with floral ornaments, outlines of saints, fabulous birds.
To decorate the upper part of the shelf for icons, you can choose the outline of an Orthodox church.
Advice! A do-it-yourself corner shelf for icons is suitable for those who have skills in working with wood.
You can cut out bas-reliefs yourself and choose interesting reliefs. To carve a crucifix, you must first select a high-quality sketch, and only after that begin to implement your plans.
The types of wood from which a crucifix can be carved include birch, aspen, spruce, pine, and juniper boards.
Attention! The work will require a set of wood cutting tools.
The procedure for making a shelf for icons
On a board, the thickness of which is fifteen millimeters, the outlines, as well as the main contours of the parts, are transferred from a paper sketch to the main board. Next, use an electric jigsaw to cut out the crucifix. Using cutters you need to make convex parts. The carving must be done in layers, carefully highlighting the internal parts with a thin cutter. Once the procedure for cutting the crucifix is completed, you can begin sanding the product, armed with fine sandpaper.
Advice! If you have to cut out bas-reliefs in segments, it is better to secure them with a sheet of plywood on the back side.
Then the decorative parts are glued together and attached to the sheet of the slab. To remove all excess, you can use a jigsaw or an electric cutter.
Using sandpaper, it is necessary to carry out high-quality sanding of the side of the finished product.
To make beautiful crossbars you will need certain professional skills, as well as certain equipment. After the balusters are made, it is important to carry out high-quality sanding of the product.
For a shelf for icons you will need several parts:
- side panels;
- vertical racks;
- sides;
- shelves
Shelf templates for icons can be made from pieces of wood board.
Attention! Professionals do not recommend using plywood for templates, since after cutting it needs to be significantly modified.
You will need two side panels for the shelf, and you also need to take care of purchasing high-quality fasteners.
Sequencing
First you need to attach ready-made templates to the blackboard. Further using electric jigsaw the part is formed. The edges are processed using a milling cutter; all irregularities and roughness present on the surface are sanded with abrasive paper. Before making holes, you need to mark them with a pencil. Next, the side panels are prepared using the same algorithm. After assembling the product, it is advisable to varnish the shelf.
Wall fixation
To attach a corner shelf under icons on the wall, you will need dowels. To begin with you need to finished product attach hanging loops. Next, the shelf is applied to the wall, and the places where the dowels will be located are marked. The holes for them are made with an electric drill.
There are certain requirements that must be met in order for the finished shelf for icons to be beautifully mounted on the wall:
- the product should hang at the level of human eyes or higher;
- there should be no other decorative elements next to the icons;
- if there will be functional lamps on the shelf, it is important to ensure fire safety (there should be no flammable materials near the shelf)
Decoration features
Mainly used in the manufacture of shelves for icons natural wood. If you can’t make carved strips and parts with your own hands, you can limit yourself to creating an imitation of it. To obtain a similar effect, you can first burn out the design, then cover the finished fragments with decorative enamel. To do this, the contour of the ornament is transferred to the top panel or side, and all contours are outlined using burning devices.
Attention! The finished pattern must be uniform over the entire surface of the product, otherwise the shelf will have an unaesthetic appearance.
As soon as the contour application is completed, enamel is applied to the surface with a thin brush, then the product is coated with colorless varnish.
Master Class
Currently, the tradition of decorating your home with Christian icons is returning; even in city apartments you can find a homemade “red corner”, which is often called a shrine. If you choose the right materials for a shelf, it can be made functional decorative element apartment interior. The priests say that icon shelves should be in the home of every believer.
In the manufacture of such products, you can use wood, plywood, polymer materials, metal.
Depending on personal preferences, shelves for icons can be single-tiered or multi-tiered structures. Icons for the iconostasis can be mounted on a table or placed on a shelf.
For creating three-tier design stock up on manual milling machine, jigsaw, ruler, pencil, nails or screws, abrasive material, hammer, wood glue.
In order for the shelf to be beautiful and delight its owner for a long period, it is important to carry out preliminary measurements of the width, height, and depth of the planned structure.
Advice! Optimal size For a corner shelf for icons, professionals consider the height to be 70 centimeters.
You need to transfer the drawing to plywood or wood. If the surface has dark color, instead of a pencil it is better to use construction knife. Professionals recommend numbering the parts of the drawing to prevent errors during assembly. As soon as the main details of the planned iconostasis are cut out with a jigsaw, manual router all edges of the product are processed.
To ensure that there are no rolling pins or irregularities on the surface of the shelf, the surface is sanded with sandpaper.
Attention! When grinding, the abrasive material must be moved in the direction of the grain.
To connect the parts together, you can use nails or screws. For strength, you can also arm yourself with glue designed for wood. You can varnish or stain wood to protect it from high humidity and temperature changes, as well as give the product an aesthetic appearance.
Basically, shelves for icons are arranged in three rows, but there is one main row - deisis. In order for the created iconostasis to be made correctly and reliably protect the apartment and its inhabitants, it is important to arrange the icons in a clear order.
The upper part is the deisis, in its center there should be an icon of Jesus.
To the left of her is the image of the protectress - the Most Holy Theotokos, and to the right side is always the icon of John the Baptist.
Ideally, the number of icons is 12 pieces - according to the number of major Christian holidays. On the bottom shelf of the iconostasis you create yourself, you can place any icons that are revered in a certain region.
Conclusion
Despite the fact that the twenty-first century is a time of innovative computer technologies, people still think about their souls and turn to higher powers for advice. Not everyone has time to visit church services, which is why improvised iconostases appear in private houses and city apartments. Don’t know where to start with the construction of a shelf for icons? In this case, first carefully study the recommendations of professionals, and also look at photographs of finished work:
After you get the first idea of the procedure for carrying out the work, you can proceed to the implementation of your idea. If you follow all the recommendations of professionals, you will receive a high-quality and original iconostasis for icons. Many people own icons that should be placed on a special shelf, and not placed next to the TV or tape recorder.
They hid it from prying eyes. It was dangerous to show them off. The time was communist-atheistic. That’s why we’ve lost the culture of faith; we don’t know where the icons should be in the apartment. There seems to be no secret to this. Place it wherever you like. But the icons are different, and each has its own approach. Let's find out what it's like correct location icons in the apartment.
Ancient traditions
Christianity is over a thousand years old. In the old days, icons were considered of great value. By the way, not every family owned such a relic, and if there were images in the house, they cherished them like the apple of their eye. In ancient times, no one thought about where icons should be located in an apartment. We have seen them since childhood and absorbed the traditions with our mother’s milk. The image was placed in. This does not mean the color scheme of the place, but its essence. “Red” meant “ceremonial”, “solemn” and the like. And the corner, because the layout of the hut was simple. There were not windows on all walls. The lighting was poor, only candles and torches. The red corner was the one that received more sun. As a rule, it was located in the eastern part of the building. And the windows were planned in advance so that light would fall on this festive, ceremonial corner from both sides. The place was decorated as best they could. The girls made towels and napkins on winter evenings, embroidered, and weaved. Flowers were placed nearby in warm weather. And they always lit the lamp. It was not appropriate for holy images to be in the shadows. You, dear reader, are probably wondering why icons were treated this way.
What is an image for a person?
It is necessary to make a small digression. Think about what image means to you personally? Those who are interested in where icons should be placed in an apartment are apparently believers. Images are not easy beautiful pictures. From them, people who once lived look at the believer, who managed to remain faithful to the Lord, to become part of the proof of his rightness and love for humanity. But they are all fundamentally different from all kinds of gurus who are usually worshiped. Remember: Christ said that he came to people to give light, to show the way to righteousness. He called me to follow the path he pointed out, to feel and understand it with my heart. And those people whose faces we hang on the wall realized this and embodied it as best they could during their lifetime.
Icons are portraits of loved ones, whom a believer wants to be like, from whom he takes example. That is, these are spiritual friends and patrons. And you will become respected and dear person hide in a dusty closet? Of course not. If he comes to visit, sit him down the best place, treat and entertain with an interesting conversation. The images are not even visitors, but family members, revered and loved by everyone. This attitude was previously conveyed as normal rules behavior. That’s why people didn’t ask themselves where the icons should be in the apartment. They were given the red corner, the most elegant, light and clean.
How the iconostasis is arranged now
The church rules requiring that the images be kept in the eastern part of the building have now practically lost their force. Father, seeing that the icons are in a different place, will not make a remark. That is, you can put it where it is convenient. However, there are still a number of requirements for the location. When you are thinking about where icons should be placed in your apartment, do not forget about their religious content. It is inappropriate to keep secular paintings or books of dubious nature nearby. It is also recommended to make the red corner away from TVs and computers. These devices are considered incompatible with spiritual reflection and prayer. Usually icons are used to appeal to the Lord. Therefore, they need to be positioned so that there is enough space nearby for all family members. The prayer is said in solitude; pushing around at this moment is not accepted. Therefore, the owner of the house knows better where the icons should be in the apartment. The photo above illustrates one of the options.
How to arrange images correctly
An iconostasis can be built from an ordinary shelf or a small table with high legs. Place images on it and arrange books of religious content, if any. It is permissible and desirable to decorate the iconostasis with napkins and towels of your own making. Nowadays, handicrafts are not in honor; people buy beautiful products in the store. But while working on a special napkin for the iconostasis, you will begin to think about God, which will benefit your soul. In the past, at least, this is exactly what they did. Look at your red corner: is there not enough light there? It would be nice to place special lamps nearby. Don’t forget to wipe the dust regularly, and sometimes light candles or a lamp. It is recommended to keep the Mother of God in the house. The face of a guardian angel is also often placed nearby. It is the saint whose name you bear from birth or baptism (sometimes they are different).
Where should the Seven Shots icon be located in the apartment?
Let's talk about special cases of arrangement of holy faces. Believers have a special relationship with some icons. It is believed that they protect from misfortunes, enemy influence, and evil passions. For example, executives often hang them in their offices. These people are confident that the Mother of God will protect them from intriguers and competitors. At home, it is recommended to hang such an icon above the front door. The clergy say that the face of the Mother of God will take away an uninvited guest with bad intentions from the house. In addition, they say that Semistrelnaya protects owners from negative thoughts, quarrels, mutual accusations and scandals. On the contrary front door They advise hanging the Trinity icon. It clears visitors of bad intentions.
Children's room: where should icons be located in the room?
Often mothers and fathers think about how to protect their child from the evil eye, disease and other manifestations of the devil. Icons are best suited for this. You can hang them in your baby's room. It is advisable to place the image of the Virgin Mary in the eastern corner of the room. Follow the rules above. That is, hang the icon away from broadcasting electronic devices. The holy face in the room will certainly arouse the child’s interest in faith. Teach him to pray, tell him what icons mean to people. Perhaps this way we can gradually regain ancient traditions spiritual education. What do you think?