The chandelier is the main lamp of the temple and a symbol of the Heavenly Church

2024 Author: Miguel Ramacey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 06:11

The chandelier is the central multi-tiered lamp in any Orthodox church, placed under the main dome of the cathedral. He is also called the omnipotent.

Origin of the name

The origin and meaning of the word "chandelier" goes back to the Greek "polycandilon", which means "many candles". The modern Russian sound of the name, according to the famous linguist Maximilian Fasmer, arose from the distorted pronunciation of the Greek source, where the first part was influenced by the word "requiem", and the second moved closer to the word "censer".

The device and meaning of the chandelier

The shape of the luminaire resembles a cone with its apex towards the ceiling. Each tier of the chandelier has the shape of a circle, on which there are lamps or candles. The number of tiers may vary, depending on the height and size of the temple. Since lighting is of particular importance for the church, the chandeliers made of bronze or brass are richly decorated with the faces of saints, gilding, ornaments and crystal, which refracts and amplifies the light of the lamps.

In the center of the chandelier is placed a spherical element, called "apple", meaning grace and the fruit of heavenly wisdom. The chandelier itself- this is a symbol of the Heavenly Church, exuding a semblance of a Spiritual glow that awaits believers on the way to the Kingdom of Heaven.

Multi-tiered chandeliers in the temple represent an indication of the heavenly order and hierarchy. If we correlate the circles of the lamp with the firmament, then each vertical row will correspond to the level of heaven and the rank of the creatures that inhabit it. If we correlate the levels with the people gathering in the temple, then they will reflect the degree of spiritual perfection of the parishioners. Since the exact number of celestial ranks is unknown, there is no obligatory indication of the number of chandelier tiers - they can be from 3 to 12.

Because the chandelier is the main lamp of the temple, according to church canons, it is lit only during festive and especially significant services. During special moments of the ceremony, to add more solemnity to the moment, the chandelier is swinging so that light is shed on the entire crowd.

Khoros - an ancient type of chandelier

The architecture of the ancient temples of the first Christians did not imply the presence of massive lamps. Under the dome of the building there was a horos - a round platform with an inscribed cross, on which 12 candles were placed, corresponding to the number of apostles. The spread of Christianity and the development of architecture changed the appearance of the khoros, which gradually acquired a modern look.

Khoros is the most ancient form of the chandelier. Ancient horos were made of metal or wood, representing a wheel that is horizontalhung from the ceiling on chains. Lamps were installed around the circumference of the wheel. In some cases, the horos looked like a semicircular bowl, where lamps were placed in the recess. Gradually, the shape of the horos became more complicated, they began to be decorated with ornaments, images, biblical characters and scenes.

Today, a horos is a chandelier of a special kind, each tier of which resembles a wheel rim. The number of wheels is limited only by the size of the temple and the imagination of the master. The lamp symbolizes the firmament and the stars on it. A horos can also have a tree structure. In this case, a rod is placed in the center, to which wheels with light bulbs are attached. A similar structure of the lamp symbolically means the tree of life.

Modern forms of horos and their extraordinary beauty impress and amaze the eye. The fusion of ancient traditions and new technologies make it possible to create true masterpieces that combine fine jewelry work and deep philosophical meaning.