The Ex altation of the Holy Cross is an icon that has several images. This is due to the fact that each icon painter described the finding of the Cross of Jesus in different ways, trying to indicate the main details. For Christians of that time, this is a huge event, so several temples, churches were built in his honor, prayers, a song, a troparion, sacred texts were composed, the date of the holiday of the same name was set.
Ex altation of the Holy Cross: history
Historical facts say that the return of the Life-Giving Tree was due to Emperor Constantine the Great and his mother Elena. Constantine was a Roman by birth, by faith, like his father, a pagan, and his mother was a Christian. After the death of her father, Empress Elena actively engaged in the spread of Christianity. The son did not come to this faith immediately. This was facilitated by a sign before one important battle. Long doubts, tortures, conversions,prayers to God contributed to the sign - the appearance of the cross in the evening sky. This was seen by the emperor with his army. At night, he also dreamed of Jesus, who informed him of the coming victory over the enemy, if His symbol was depicted on the clothes, weapons, and banners of the soldiers.
Konstantin, having fulfilled God's will, won the battle. In the middle of the defeated city, a statue was erected holding a cross. But this incident did not lead to the emergence of a new religious holiday - "Ex altation of the Cross of the Lord." Its significance was realized by people later. In the meantime, son Konstantin asks his mother to find the Life-Giving Tree.
Search for the Empress
She went to the birthplace of Christ (Jerusalem), learned from an old Jew the exact location of the tomb. The cross was under a pagan temple (the pagans built their temples, sacrificial altars on Christian shrines, trying to be remembered by mankind, but thereby making marks for Christians).
When they dug up the earth, they saw three crosses. According to legend, Empress Elena and Patriarch Macarius identified the Cross of Jesus by its miraculous power. Each found tablet was applied in turn to the sick woman, and then to the deceased. The result was instant: the woman recovered, and the dead man was resurrected. All those present believed in God even more and wanted to venerate the cross. But since there were many people, the bishop from an elevated place began to erect the Life-Giving Tree over all those gathered with the words "Lord, have mercy." Hence the name - the Ex altation of the Cross of the Lord. The prayer wascompiled later. In it, Christians bow to the Cross and glorify the name of the Lord.
Emperor Constantine and his mother Elena did a lot for Christianity. Under their rule, the persecution of Christians ceased, temples, monasteries, cathedrals, and churches were built. Only after the found Cross of Jesus, eighty temples were founded on Palestinian land, where the foot of the son of the Lord stepped. Empress Elena brought to her son a part of the Life-Giving Cross with nails. Constantine ordered the erection of a temple in honor of this event, which was built and consecrated ten years later. The day of its discovery (September 14, 335) becomes the date of the celebration of the Ex altation.
Mother did not live to see this event, and Constantine himself became a Christian shortly before his death, considering it impossible to receive the sacrament earlier. For their merits, the church attributed the son and mother to the saints, awarded the status of Equal-to-the-Apostles. Their faces are displayed by the icon "Ex altation of the Holy Cross".
The meaning of this church holiday
There is another legend about the Life-Giving Tree. During the attack of the Persians under the leadership of Khosroes II, the Cross of the Lord was stolen along with Patriarch Zachary. Fourteen years later, Emperor Heraclius defeated the Persians, freed the patriarch, and returned their shrine to the Christians. When he carried the cross to the temple of the Ex altation of the Cross of the Lord, he could not take a single step on Mount Golgotha. Patriarch Zachary explained the reason for this phenomenon, so the emperor took off his royal clothes and brought the Life-Giving Tree inside the building. Which of the two legends is the basis for the celebration of the Ex altation? Nobodyhas not yet been determined, and historians cannot give an exact explanation. Therefore, Orthodox Christians honor the merits of Helen and Constantine, and Catholics talk about Emperor Heraclius.
Church holiday Ex altation is celebrated by Catholics and Orthodox Christians on different days since the year 326, when the Calvary cross was found. For Catholics, this is the fourteenth of September, and for the Orthodox, it is the twenty-seventh of September (meaning the calculation according to the Gregorian calendar).
The celebration has a certain sequence, the main role is played by the icon "Ex altation of the Holy Cross". The meaning of the holiday reflects its other name - the Ex altation of the Holy Life-Giving Cross of the Lord, that is, the glory of the name of the Lord through the ex altation of the cross. The celebration is one of the twelve important holidays that come after Easter (that's why its other name is the twelfth). Like Easter, it has pre-holiday (day) and post-holiday (week) periods.
The difference between the Catholic and Orthodox holidays
Earlier, Orthodox Christians on the eve of the Ex altation from dusk to dawn performed an all-night vigil with small vespers. By a certain time, the Life-Giving Tree is transferred to the throne from the altar. Now this rite is rare, because the Cross is placed on the throne in advance. In the altar at Matins the Gospel is read, then the chant takes place. The ex altation takes place without kissing the gospel and anointing after reading it.
As soon as the priest is fully clothed, the Greatdoxology. The rector performs certain actions with the Cross, reads the troparion to the Ex altation of the Cross of the Lord. Next, the troparion is sung three times with prostrations, then everyone moves on to the stichera with anointing with oil. The service ends with a litany, making room for the liturgy.
Catholics celebrate the holiday in the evening or in the morning (it all depends on whether September 14 falls on a weekday or Sunday). The evening service begins with the Latin rite, and matins consists of three nocturnes dedicated to the history of the return of the Cross of the Lord, the preaching of the Pope. The sequence of stages of the Catholic holiday is spelled out in the missal (liturgical book). So there will be no changes, and the sermon on the Ex altation of the Holy Cross is similar to the texts of Holy Week.
Icons of the Ex altation
Since the holiday is celebrated by Catholics and Orthodox in different ways, the icons have different plots. Since the fifteenth century, icon painters have depicted many people at the temple, the center is occupied by deacons with the patriarch, who erects a Cross decorated with plants, and on the opposite side are depicted Emperor Constantine with his mother Helena.
Before this period, the icon has undergone various changes and acquired a different look:
- The Church of St. Sophia in Constantinople depicts on the icon from the twelfth century the images of the Equal-to-the-Apostles Helena and Constantine, who hold on to the Cross. This image was painted, carved from wood, folded from mosaic.
- In the Romanian monastery of Bistrita, the Ex altation of the Cross of the Lord - an icon - depicts a trinity: Constantine with Elenapray near the patriarch.
- Vatican miniature of the eleventh century depicts Emperor Basil II with the Cross with the bishops. By the way, Catholics and Orthodox always depict deacons guarding the Cross next to the bishop. This is connected with the legend that one of the common people, bowing before the Life-Giving Tree, bit off a chip. Therefore, the deacons observe the behavior of Christians during the Ex altation.
- Moscow icon of the seventeenth century tells of the celebration of the Ex altation. Patriarch Macarius stands in front of the temple with deacons and the Life-Giving Tree. Judging by the position of the hands, it is possible that the bishop is conducting the troparion to the Ex altation of the Cross of the Lord. On both sides stand Equal-to-the-Apostles Constantine and Helena. Below is a choir of church singers. On the sides are apostles with saints.
- The thirteenth century San Silvestro Chapel tells of the excavations of Elena. People are digging up the tomb of Jesus, where three crosses lie. In the foreground, the image of the weak is depicted to recall the miraculous power of the Life-Giving Tree.
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The main difference between Catholic and Orthodox icons is the depiction of the historical fact of the return of the Cross. Orthodox depict Helen with Constantine, and Catholics depict Emperor Heraclius. Thus, it seems that the icon of the Ex altation of the Cross of the Lord is different for Christians, but the meaning is the same for everyone - faith in God, acceptance of the fact of the Resurrection of the Son of God, veneration of the Cross as the salvation of the entire human race. This church holiday is dedicated not to crying over the sufferings of Christ, but to joyafter the tests carried out. The cross is seen as an instrument of redemption, by ex alting it, Christians glorify the name of Christ.
History of the crucifixion
Over time, the Life-Giving Tree was taken apart in pieces to different churches, now Christians only figuratively glorify the name of the Lord. At the same time, the Gospel nowhere mentions the origin of the cross, in contrast to the apocryphal legends. According to the Bogomil legend, the tree of Good and Evil from the Garden of Eden formed three trunks, signifying Adam, the Lord and Eve. After the expulsion of people from paradise, only the trunk of God remained, and the other two parts of the tree fell to the ground. It is from them that the crucifixion for Christ will be made (meaning the Ex altation of the Cross of the Lord). Photos of the Apocrypha can be found in museums and chronicles (the most popular works by Piero della Francesca).
According to the "golden" legend, after Adam's death, a dry branch of the tree of Good and Evil sprouted, which his son brought from the Archangel Michael to prolong his father's days. This tree grew until the appearance of King Solomon, who cut it down to build a temple. However, a bridge was built from timber, on which the Queen of Sheba refused to go, revealing to everyone the meaning of this tree. Solomon buried this beam, but after some time it was found. The tree was washed by water, which had healing properties, therefore the Siloam font was founded here. After the capture of Jesus, this beam floated to the surface, and the Jews used it for the basis of the crucifixion. The cross planks were taken from other species of trees.
Churches of the Ex altation
The first church built in honor of the Life-Giving Tree waserected on Palestinian land in the fourth century, under Empress Helen. Then, over time, Antioch, Constantinople, Alexandria, and Roman churches arose. Immediately there are writers of canons and stichera. The most famous are the creators of Cosmas, Theophanes, who wanted to connect the plots of the New and Old Testaments. So, the prototypes of the Patriarch Jacob, Moses, the Mother of God are mentioned and are associated with Jesus, the Life-Giving Tree. Over time, prayers, a troparion, a kontakion, canons and an akathist to the Ex altation of the Cross of the Lord were composed.
To date, a thousand churches, temples, monasteries, cathedrals in honor of the Life-Giving Tree have been created throughout Russia (Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, Yekaterinburg, Perm Territory, Sverdlovsk Region, Kaliningrad, Krasnoyarsk, Omsk, Petrozavodsk, Tutaevo, St. Petersburg, Komi Republic, Kizlyar, Sevsk, Tver, Belgorod, Voronezh, Izhevsk, Irkutsk, Karelia, Kalmykia, Ufa, Kaluga).
In other countries, Christians also built religious sites in honor of the Ex altation. In Ukraine, these churches are located in Dnepropetrovsk, Donetsk, Lugansk, Kharkov regions, Poltava, Kamenetz-Podolsk, Uzhgorod. In Moldova, near Tiraspol, there is the Kitskansky Novo-Nyametsky Monastery with numerous buildings. There is also a museum library with rare books and shrines describing the Ex altation of the Holy Cross (icon, prayer, song and other Christian paraphernalia of a religious holiday are described in church publications).
As you can see, all over the world you can find monasteries, churches,cathedrals, temples built in honor of the Life-Giving Tree. In many of them, Christian shrines have been preserved and religious services are held. Others are used as cultural tourist sites. Let's take a closer look at Moscow churches.
Inactive Moscow churches of the Ex altation
- Ex altation of the Cross Church. It was rebuilt by the year 1681 by the Russian Tsar Fyodor Alekseevich. Divine services do not take place, since the church, together with other religious buildings, makes up the Kremlin Grand Palace, and is also considered part of the Residence of the Russian President.
- Ex altation Church of St. Nicholas Monastery of the One Faith. The construction of the object was completed by the year 1806, and it was consecrated by Metropolitan Filaret only after forty-eight years. It was destroyed by the Bolsheviks, in the nineties transferred to the possession of the Church, at the expense of which the historical object was restored. The temple does not now conduct a sermon on the Ex altation of the Holy Cross, as it is considered an object of the cultural heritage of Russia.
- Serpukhov Ex altation Church. It was built by the year 1755 with charitable donations from the Kishkin merchant family. The church existed until Soviet times, then, like many religious sites, it was closed and then destroyed. Now its premises are used as a warehouse by a textile company.
Existing Moscow churches of the Ex altation
- Old Believer ChurchEx altations. Located in the Preobrazhensky district of Moscow. The temple was built by the year 1811 on the women's territory of the Preobrazhenskaya community. The Old Believer Church of the Ex altation of the Holy Cross continues to operate, although the valuables were transferred to the Ex altation of the Cross Church during the Soviet era.
- Altufevskaya Ex altation Church. A temple was created under the leadership of I. I. Velyaminov by the year 1763 on the territory of the Altufiev estate, not far from the pond. The church is part of the Trinity Deanery District of the Moscow Diocese, and is still operating.
- Ex altation Church on Chisty Vrazhka. Included in the Central Deanery District of the Diocese of Moscow. It got its name from the ravine along which manure was taken from the royal stables in the nineteenth century. The temple was built by the year 1708. The Soviet period left its mark on religious activity, but since 1992 services have resumed. So today's Christians can also listen to the Akathist to the Ex altation of the Cross of the Lord.
- Cherkizovsky Ex altation Church. It is also called the Church of Elijah the Prophet. Now it is part of the Resurrection Deanery District of the Moscow Diocese. The temple was founded by Ilya Ozakov in the fourteenth century. Twice the church was reconstructed, but not because of Soviet anti-religious views, but because of insufficient space for parishioners. This is one of the few churches that survived during the Soviet period, as the parishioners with the clergy sent a million rubles to I. V. Stalin for the needs of the soldiers of the Great Patriotic War.
- Jerusalem Women's Ex altationmonastery. Built by 1865 in the Domodedovo district of the Moscow region. Previously, there was an almshouse, which eventually turned into a community, on the territory of which three churches were built: Our Lady of the Assumption, the Mother of God of Jerusalem, and the third church - "Ex altation of the Cross of the Lord" (the icon depicting the cross and the image of the Virgin Mary was in every church). In Soviet times, the monastery was closed, but already during the years of perestroika (1992) it was transferred to the Moscow Patriarchate to continue religious activities.
- Brusensky Assumption Convent. It is located on the territory of Kolomna, Moscow region. It was originally founded by the year 1552 as a male temple, but it existed in this form until the Time of Troubles. The convent, despite many religious buildings, was closed by the Soviet authorities, and then partially destroyed. Since 1997, the buildings began to be restored, and by 2006 the entire monastery was restored.
- Kolomenskaya Church "Ex altation of the Holy Cross". Prayer has been held on the church holiday of the same name since 1764. But seventy-three years later, the church was rebuilt at the expense of the sisters N. K. Kolesnikova and M. K. Sharapova. Under Soviet rule, a cardboard factory was located here. Today the church acts as an object of cultural heritage of Russia.
- Ex altation Church in Darna. Belongs to the Istra deanery district of the Moscow diocese. The temple was originallyfrom 1686. After a fire in the eighteenth century, it was rebuilt by Lazar Gnilovsky by 1895, according to the design of the Russian architect Sergei Sherwood. However, for another five years, construction work continued on the territory of the church, which included a school, a fence, priests' houses, and its own brick factory. During the Patriotic War, the temple was completely destroyed, since 1991 it was given into the possession of the church. Restoration and restoration work has been going on for many decades.
Demolished Moscow Churches of the Ex altation
- Moscow Ex altation of the Cross Monastery on the Arbat. The first construction of a religious object falls on 1540 in connection with the date of delivery of shrines, including the "Ex altation of the Cross of the Lord" (icon). Seven years later, the monastery burns to the ground. For many years the church was erected again and again by different rulers after military defeats, but was finally destroyed by the Bolsheviks.
- Armenian Holy Cross Church. Built in 1782 in Moscow at the expense of Ivan Lazarev, designed by architect Yuri Felten. The Soviet authorities demolished this facility and then built a school.
- Tula Ex altation Church. Initially, a wooden church arose in 1611. Eighty-five years later, a fire burned all the buildings to the ground. A stone temple was built on this place, which was again equipped with all the shrines (there was the Tolga icon of the Mother of God, the limit of Tikhon of Voronezh, as well as the icon "Ex altation of the Cross of the Lord"). Photos of the temple can only be found inhistorical chronicles. The Bolsheviks demolished all religious buildings and created Holy Cross Square on its territory.
The Ex altation of the Holy Cross is an important holiday for Christians. The celebration of Catholics and Orthodox is different, but they have the same meaning. It is important to keep faith and love for God, to glorify his name for the suffering he endured.
