Icon of the Holy Trinity where to hang. The icon of the Holy Trinity helps in what. Icon "Holy Trinity" - what protects

Holy Trinity The revelation of the trinitarian dogma is the main theological idea of ​​the feast of Pentecost. To express it in the image of the Orthodox Church adopted the icon of the Holy Trinity, which conveys the biblical scene of the appearance of three wanderers to the forefather Abraham at the oak

“And the Lord appeared to him at the oaks of Mamre, when he was sitting at the entrance to his tent [his] during the heat of the day. He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men stood before him. Seeing, he ran towards them from the entrance to the tent [his] and bowed to the ground, and said: Lord! if I have found favor in Your sight, do not pass by Your servant; and they will bring some water and wash your feet; and rest under this tree, and I will bring bread, and you will refresh your hearts; then go [on your way]; as you pass by your servant. They said: do as you say. And Abraham hastened<…>And he took butter, and milk, and a calf that had been cooked, and set it before them, and he himself stood beside them under a tree. And they ate."

After the meal, the wanderers predicted to the spouses that their dream would come true - they would have a son. Unable to believe this, the old people were embarrassed, but they heard the answer: “Is there anything difficult for the Lord?” A little later, Abraham receives an explanation: “And the Lord said: Will I hide from Abraham [My servant] what I want to do ! A great and strong people will definitely come from Abraham, and all the peoples of the earth will be blessed in him, for I chose him so that he would command his sons and his house after him to walk in the way of the Lord, doing justice and judgment.

Many theologians were convinced that this passage in the Old Testament speaks of a prototype of the Most Holy and Consubstantial Trinity. Blessed Augustine (“On the City of God”, book 26) writes: “Abraham meets three, worships one. Seeing the three, he comprehended the mystery of the Trinity, and bowing as if to one, he confessed the One God in Three Persons. Abraham, going out to meet the three strangers, bows to them and addresses them with the word "Lord!" in the singular.

So the righteous Abraham and Sarah learned that they were visited by God himself in the form of a single inseparable Trinity. The depiction of this plot in iconography became known as the Old Testament Trinity.

About the icon "Holy Trinity" by Andrei Rublev

The icon painter Yury Kuznetsov took Rublev's Trinity as the basis for creating his Trinity in the school of Kuznetsov's writing. And how could it be otherwise - only this image, enclosed in a single circular composition, written in light, floating, airy, like a light fabric, tones to this day embodies the idea of ​​the unity of the trinity, indivisible God's Being, where God the Father, God the Son and the Holy Spirit - the three hypostases of God, inalienable and inseparable, represent the whole meaning and beauty of Christianity.

The bright personality of the icon painter of the 21st century, who performed this Most Pure, Most Holy image in unique, shining colors, does not contradict the silvery radiance of Rublev's writing, but continues the tradition of the spiritual and philosophical idea of ​​Andrei Rublev and his friend Daniil Cherny about light, about unity, about humility and peace within and outside of us...

The village of Radonezh is located near the town of Sergiev Posad, in the Soviet period - Zagorsk. Sergiev Posad grew up around the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, which, thanks to the efforts of Nikon of Radonezh, a friend and faithful disciple of St. Sergius of Radonezh, the ancestor of the monastery, has now become one of the largest territorial shrines of the Russian land, attracting not only pilgrims and visitors to contemplate and worship its iconographic and architectural treasures from Russia, but from all over the world.

And in the XIV-XV centuries, Radonezh arose over the river Pages - a small town in the inheritance of the Moscow princes. Now you can get to that place from the Semkhoz station of the Moscow Railway by bus or by bus - from the Sergiev Posad station. In the annalistic source of the 17th century, the sitriks found information about “Andrew of Radonezh, the icon painter nicknamed Rublev”, who painted the icon “Trinity” by order of the elder Nikon of Radonezh, with whom Andrei Rublev lived as a novice monk, perhaps even during the last years of his life and St. Sergius himself.

This icon glorified St. Sergius and became a starting point in the study of the entire heritage of Rublev and his friend Daniil Cherny, which was not limited to the Trinity. The murals of the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir, the creation of the unique Zvenigorod tier of church painting, the design of the Khitrovo Gospel - provide us with significant information about the Rublev heritage.

Saint Nikon, who inherited the management of the monastery founded by St. Sergius, passed away in 1427, but since the icon, according to his command, should have been painted during his lifetime, the birth of the icon can be indicated by this time. The icon was painted for the Trinity Cathedral, arranged by Nikon in 1422 at the site where the relics of St. Sergius were found. But the lands of those places were bled dry by the invasion of Khan Edigey in 1408, and, to great sorrow, the monasteries had meager funds. Under these conditions, Nikon of Radonezh called for the decoration of the Trinity Cathedral erected on his orders - frescoes and icons - by icon painters Andrei Rublev and others, also, it is possible, his friend Daniil Cherny, who were at that time in Moscow, in the Andronikov Monastery, although regarding the latter certainly not known.

These were the years when Andrei Rublev was already in his advanced years. The great icon painter of Holy Russia was born around 1360, died in 1430, but his creative powers, by the grace of God, were so great that before he passed away, he, along with his old friend Daniel, had a chance after the Trinity Cathedral of the Trinity-Sergius laurels to create the icon-painting decoration of the Spassky Cathedral in the Andronikov Monastery.

Where did he draw such unique images, such tones, such compositions? Certainly - from the Primary Source, from the Holy Spirit, which guides the hand of any true icon painter, the creator of otherworldly images of the heavenly world, whose face illuminates and sanctifies our life in the world below? The Monk Joseph of Volokolamsk (September 9/22) in his descriptions testifies that Andrei Rublev and Daniil Cherny on Easter and on other days free from labor often stood before the icons for a long time in admiration and reverence, filled with the light that the saints constantly shed on us faces. This quiet prayerful presence gave them both strength and was an endless source of inspiration.

The Rublyov style, which distinguishes his writing from all others, became the basis of the Zvenigorod rank. It bears signs of Byzantine art, originating in the Greek manner of Christian iconography and religious literary monuments of Byzantium, thanks to which the current Orthodox worship has developed. Combining with the worldview of the ancient Russian Slavic tradition, it gave a unique alloy from which all Russian iconography has grown, and in it - the Rublev school, which has no equal.

Time passed, and most of Rublyov's creations were recorded in later iconography, but the glory of his name still flourished. The famous restorer V.P. Guryanov was the first to open the Trinity, freeing it from later recordings. It was kept in a salary, almost completely covering the image, and when it was removed, and then three layers of layers were removed, the last of which was the usual Palekh painting of the 18th century, the true revelation of Russian iconographic art that struck everyone was revealed to the eyes.

The icon was finally freed from renovations only in 1919. Then the “Trinity” by Andrei Rublev appeared in its initial appearance. From now on, the Moscow icon-painting school was determined by its artistic and iconographic features, where the original Slavic tradition of Russia was combined with the Christian culture of Byzantium, whose origins originate in the ancient Hellenic traditions associated with all the ancient art of the Oecumene. "Trinity" by Andrei Rublev is kept in the collection of the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow.

Features of the iconography and symbolism of the "Trinity" by Andrei Rublev

The Monk Andrei Rublev in his icon "Holy Trinity" managed to achieve the highest degree of disclosure of the spiritual essence of the Holy Trinity, to embody the main dogma of Christianity. According to the theological tradition, the Trinity expresses the idea of ​​God, whose essence is one, but being is a personal relationship of three hypostases. In Orthodox teaching, the Trinity is called Consubstantial, Indivisible, Life-Giving and Holy.

Previously, in trinity icons depicting a well-known Old Testament story from the book of Genesis, icon painters, as a rule, conveyed only a domestic scene: three angels visiting Abraham and Sarah are sitting at a laid table in the shade of a large oak tree. The icons depicted the figures of Abraham and Sarah, a boy slaughtering a calf, and various attributes of a meal. Such an image of this event was given the name "Hospitality of Abraham".

Unlike them, Andrei Rublev refused to go into details, and everything momentary disappeared from the icon, giving way to the eternal. The figures of Abraham and Sarah disappeared, the rich table setting was replaced by one bowl - a symbol of sacrifice. This is no longer a meal - the sacrament of the atoning sacrifice is performed before people. Of all the details in the upper part of the “Trinity”, there remained the house of Abraham in the form of a structure decorated with columns, a stocky oak of Mamre similar to a branch, and an overhanging rock - the designation of the desert from which the wanderers came.

The main part of the space of the icon is occupied by three angels sitting at the table. The consubstantiality on the Rublev icon is conveyed by the fact that the figures of the angels are written in exactly the same type, and they are all endowed with equal dignity. Each of the angels holds a rod in his hand - in commemoration of Divine power. But at the same time, the angels are not the same: they have different postures, different attire.

Quite naturally, the question arises: which Person of the Holy Trinity should be identified with which angel? Opinions are expressed very different. Here I would like to quote the words of Academician Boris Raushenbakh, a deep connoisseur of icon painting: “Undoubtedly, however, the problem of identifying angels and Persons is of secondary importance. After all, no matter how the question of the correspondence between angels and Persons is resolved, the Trinity continues to remain only the Trinity. Only the interpretation of gestures changes, but not the cardinal quality of the icon, which is natural to consider the completeness of the expression of the dogmatic doctrine of the Trinity.

The second view is based on the fact that God the Son is central to the salvation of the human race. Religion and each of its representatives are named after him. Accordingly, in this case, the Face of God the Son is assigned to the Face of the middle angel. Supporters of this opinion support their reasoning by interpreting the details depicted on the icon. Among them are the color and details of the clothes of the central angel, indicating that he is a messenger to save the world, the symbolic "Tree of Life" behind his back, the repetition of the contours of the sacrificial bowl formed by the silhouettes of the side angels, inside which is the middle angel, that is, God the Son - Jesus Christ. This interpretation was so widespread that some icon painters began to put an inscription over the head of the middle angel: IC XC (Jesus Christ) and a cross halo, which only the Savior can have.

God the Father, according to this point of view, is depicted on the left, in his appearance paternal authority is read. His head is not tilted, his gaze is turned to other angels. The other two angels bowed their heads to him in silent reverence. His direct gesture, blessing the cup, is authoritative, while the “reverse”, receiving gesture of the middle angel expresses obedience to the will of God the Father and readiness to sacrifice himself in the name of love for people. Chambers are depicted above the head of God the Father - a symbol of the universe built by the "Creator of heaven and earth." The third angel is depicted in a smoky green outer garment, emphasizing the hypostasis of the Holy Spirit, called the Life-Giving One. Since ancient times, church tradition has assigned the green color to the third hypostasis of the Holy Trinity. This color in icon-painting symbolism means eternal life, it is the color of hope, flowering, spiritual awakening. The mountain depicted above the third angel is a symbol of holiness, a symbol of the mountain world. Adherents of this view say that the angels are located on the icon in the order according to the Creed: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.

The general meaning of the third point of view can be expressed by the decision of the Stoglavy Cathedral that the icons of the Holy Trinity should be painted according to the old Greek models and according to the model of Rublev, that is, without distinguishing hypostases, signing only the “Holy Trinity”.

At the Seventh Ecumenical Council, the right was approved to depict the Savior Jesus Christ on icons as God incarnate, and, consequently, the rule was approved about the impossibility of depicting God the Father as not incarnated and still invisible and indescribable. The Fathers of the Stoglavy Cathedral, forbidding marking various hypostases on the icon of the Holy Trinity, wanted the icon of the Holy Trinity to be read as a single, common symbol of the entire Holy Trinity, keeping icon painters from violating the canon (the image of God the Father, which we cannot depict).

The composition of the icon by Andrei Rublev indicates the aspiration to the Eucharistic chalice, symbolizing the Great Sacrifice - the readiness of one of the three Persons of the Divine to sacrifice himself for the salvation of the human race, this movement expresses the inseparability of the Holy Trinity. The bowl is the semantic center of the icon. Three angels seem to be in a secret silent conversation about the fate of the human race. Andrei Rublev does not designate the persons of the Divine Trinity, there are no inscriptions on the icon, there is no crosshair on the halo of Christ, which creates an image of an inseparable union that warms and saves lives.

All lines in the Holy Trinity icon - the outlines of figures, halos, wings - are inscribed in a smooth circular motion, creating a feeling of completeness and peace. The circle is a figure in which since ancient times people have seen the personification of the idea of ​​the Universe, peace, higher harmony, unity.

The meaning of the icon

In addition to many prayers created in different centuries to the glory of the Most Holy Trinity, the main dogma of the Holy Trinity is reflected in the most important creation - the Creed, compiled at the First (Nicene Council) of 325 and finally approved as a single document at the Constantinople Council of 381.

Now in the Nicene-Tsaregradsky Symbol, which is read during all divine services and sacraments, the idea of ​​the Christian dogma about the Most Holy Trinity is consubstantial and inseparable. In the verses of the Creed, it is laid down everywhere, but its main postulates sound most firmly in verses 1, 2, and 8.

1. I believe in one God the Father, Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, visible to all and invisible.
2. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Only Begotten, who was born of the Father before all ages; Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, uncreated, consubstantial with the Father, Whom all was.
3. For us, man, and for our salvation, who descended from heaven and became incarnate from the Holy Spirit and Mary the Virgin, and became human.
4. He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered, and was buried.
5. And he rose again on the third day, according to the Scriptures.
6. And ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father.
7. And the packs of the future with glory to judge the living and the dead, His Kingdom will have no end.
8. And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord of Life, Who proceeds from the Father, Who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who spoke the prophets.
9. Into one Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.
10. I confess one baptism for the remission of sins.
11. I look forward to the resurrection of the dead.
12. And the life of the future age. Amen.

However, even in a prayerful impulse, the human mind cannot grasp the great meaning of the Trinity, and it is given to man to know only a part of the Divine being. To clarify the mystery of the Holy Trinity, the Holy Fathers pointed to the human soul, which is the image of God. “Our mind is the image of the Father; our word (the unspoken word we usually call thought) is the image of the Son; the spirit is the image of the Holy Spirit, teaches St. Ignatius Brianchaninov. – As in the Trinity-God, three Persons inseparably and inseparably form one Divine Being, so in the Trinity-Man, three persons constitute one being, not mixing with each other, not merging into one person, not dividing into three beings. Our mind gave birth and does not cease to give birth to a thought, a thought, having been born, does not cease to be born again and at the same time remains born, hidden in the mind. Mind cannot exist without thought, and thought cannot exist without mind. The beginning of one is certainly the beginning of another; the existence of mind is necessarily the existence of thought. In the same way, our spirit proceeds from the mind and contributes to thought. That is why every thought has its own spirit, every way of thinking has its own separate spirit, every book has its own spirit. Thought cannot be without spirit; the existence of one is necessarily accompanied by the existence of the other. In the existence of both is the existence of the mind.

In the work of St. Andrei Rublev, in addition to the highest theological truths, people saw a call for spiritual unity, mutual love, and the unification of the country. Art critic, deeply religious person I.K. Yazykova in her book The Theology of the Icon writes: “The image of the Holy Trinity is, first of all, an image of unity - an image given to us in order to heal us (“heal” - from the word “whole”). The Savior prayed on the eve of His Passion: “... that they may all be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, so they too, that they may be one in us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me” (John 17.21) ). And so be it.

Any church holiday is, if you like, a multi-layered pie with a wide variety of fillings. There are all flavor combinations - from classic to original.

So the feast of the Trinity fits perfectly into these patterns. Church canons, biblical stories and, of course, folk traditions - all this is imprinted in cultural memory.

And also - on the canvases of immortal canvases that have survived to this day. Famous photos of the Trinity, legendary icons, masterpieces of world art - all this can be seen right now.

Who does not know the icon of the Holy Trinity? Andrey Rublev immediately comes to mind, although, of course, there are other canonical images.

Here, for example, is the Zyryansk icon of the Trinity. It was created in the 14th century by Komi-Zyryan masters. And the inscriptions on the canvas are made in the ancient Permian language. The photo of the icon shows that a plant is depicted on top of the Holy Trinity - this is a symbol of Abraham's oak.

And what about oak? This is discussed in detail in the next section.

Old Testament Trinity 16th century

Interestingly, the first symbolic meeting with the Trinity is described in the Old Testament, many centuries before the appearance of Christ and the Holy Spirit on earth.

Everyone knows Abraham - the founder of the Israeli people. His wife Sarah could not conceive for a long time, although God promised Abraham a huge offspring. This paradox was easily resolved thanks to a miracle: a 90-year-old woman became pregnant by a 100-year-old man, and the first child was finally born in the family.

And exactly one year before this event, three very unusual travelers came to Abraham. The host received them very hospitably, although for a long time he had no idea that they were messengers of God.

Everything went according to the classical canons - the guests enjoyed the meal, when suddenly one of them said that in a year Abraham would have a son. It was hard to believe, and Sarah, who involuntarily overheard the conversation, even chuckled. However, in the end, everything happened exactly as the messengers said.

It is believed that these were three angels who were a prototype of the triune God - the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. These legendary events took place in the sacred oak forest called Mamre.

That is why on many icons of the Holy Trinity, an oak branch is necessarily depicted.

On the left and right, as you might guess, Abraham and Sarah are depicted. They were called to serve the Lord, because he did a great miracle for them - at such a respectable age, the couple had their first (and only) son. And in the center of the canvas we see the image of the triune God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

If we talk about who is depicted on this icon of the Holy Trinity, then everything corresponds to church canons: on the left is God the Father (first hypostasis), in the center is God the Son (second hypostasis) and on the right is God the Holy Spirit (third hypostasis).

Trinity of the Old Testament 16-17 centuries.

Similar icons are called Old Testament. Images were created by masters in the 16th and 17th centuries. Here, for example, is the creation of the icon painter Simon Ushakov, dated 1671. Now the canvas is stored in the Tretyakov Gallery.

Icon "Trinity" by Simon Ushakov

It is not difficult to guess what is depicted on the icon of the Holy Trinity - this is the image of the triune God. Moreover, on the icon of Ushakov, we see only three faces of the Lord, without other heroes.

Subsequently, this image was subjected to repeated creative rethinking, although the plot and forms remained the same.

Holy Trinity in existence

Since this story is described in the book of Genesis (Chapter 18), below is a photo of the icon of the Holy Trinity in Genesis. This is a real canvas, which symbolically depicts both the oak tree from the sacred place of Mamre, and the conversation of Abraham and Sarah at the table with the triune God.

And the meaning of this icon with the Trinity in being is somewhat different. On the canvas we see the same promised son - a boy named Isaac. The Lord fulfilled his promise and performed a miracle.

And today it has not changed at all, which means that miracles happen in our century.

Trinity of the Old Testament with walking

This icon with the Holy Trinity, the photo of which is shown below, has a similar meaning. Those legendary travelers must have come from afar. And after meeting with Abraham, they disappeared as quickly as they appeared.

This walking was a good sign, because exactly a year later the long-awaited heir really appeared in the family. The icon of the Old Testament Trinity with walking (or walking) conveys this joy well. And here the plot is complemented by the way the son Isaac sacrifices a ram.

This image reflects the famous story of how Abraham almost killed his own son, whom God demanded to be offered as a sacrifice. Abraham almost carried out this order, but the angel stopped him in time.

Thus, the Lord tested the faithfulness of his servant - and the result was beyond all expectations. And then, as a sacrifice, they slaughtered the very ram on which the depicted Isaac sits.

Icon of the Trinity - 14th century

The same theme is developed by the icon of the Trinity, the photo of which looks like this.

The feast scene itself is well shown here: it is clear with what reverence Abraham and Sarah serve the triune God. Today, this creation of the 14th century is kept in the Hermitage.

Trinity Andrey Rublev

So, it is clear who is depicted on the icon of the Holy Trinity, but what does it mean? The answer can be found on the famous painting by Andrey Rublev, which is also known as "Hospitality of Abraham" (15th century).

This is a classic image, the contemplation of which really sets one to think about the eternal. If you look at the icon for a long time, you get the impression that the same face is drawn.

This has its own deep meaning: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are the triune God. One as three, and three as one - here it is, the incomprehensible essence of the divine nature.

Trinity in salary (icon)

And this image is not even a picture, but a kind of golden case - a salary, under which the well-known icon of Andrei Rublev is hidden. It would seem, who and why needed to hide this work of art under a layer of gold?

The idea came to Ivan the Terrible, who did not want the shrine to be accessible to the eyes of even his closest associates. Interestingly, shortly after the death of the king, his successor Boris Godunov ordered to cover the image with another layer of gold, as well as diamonds and sapphires.

It is symbolic that such a “case” lived for more than 4 centuries and in many respects preserved the classical image from the destructive effects of time. But still, the shrine itself turned out to be eternal, and not the golden layer.

In 1904, the sediment was removed by the restorer Vasily Guryanov, and then the same Trinity, which many people know today, even those who are far from religion, appeared before the eyes of everyone.

Well, "life is short, art is eternal" (lat. " Vita brevis, ars longa"), as the ancients said.

Holy Trinity - Titian

The plot with the Trinity was used to create both iconographic images and secular paintings, many of which were included in the golden collection of world painting.

This is one of the most unusual, pathos images of the Trinity - the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are seated in heaven, in their hands are the symbols of power - the scepter and orb. The painting was painted almost 500 years ago.

Trinity: renaissance

This photo of an icon with the day of the Holy Trinity looks very cozy thanks to the abundance of sand and amber. The image of the triune God is done quite symbolically: the Son is talking with the Father, passing him the crown.

And somewhere far away, where God points with his finger, the Holy Spirit flies in the form of a dove. Angels in the sky, people on earth - a harmonious spectacle that sets you in a peaceful mood.

Non-canonical images of the Holy Trinity: the coronation of the Mother of God

In general, nothing is said about the coronation of the Virgin Mary, as well as Jesus or the Holy Spirit. However, the Mother of God is recognized as a saint by all branches of the Christian religion. And according to the ideas of believers, she, too, was ascended to heaven immediately after her death.

It was then that her coronation took place. And this event is somehow reflected in the church calendar. Orthodox, for example, celebrate the Assumption of the Virgin. This happens every year on August 28 in a new style.

The plot of the coronation is interpreted in different ways. For example, on the canvas of Diego Velasquez, Mary is crowned by the Father and the Son.

And Ridolfo Ghirlandaio depicted how Christ himself crowned the Mother of God in heaven. And in honor of this event, the angels play solemn music.

Adoration of the Holy Trinity

And this is not just a photo of the Holy Trinity, but a real panorama, which, without exaggeration, can be looked at for hours. The creation of Albrecht Dürer, created by him in 1511, is today kept in the famous Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna.

On the main plan is the crucifixion of Christ. A little further - the Father, who, by great mercy, himself gave the Son as a sacrifice for the salvation of all mankind. Even higher, in the heavens, the Holy Spirit soars in the form of a dove. It evokes a sense of serenity and freedom. There, in heaven, we can see numerous angels.

Well, a little lower on two tiers are people worshiping the Trinity. These are the saved souls who remained in heaven after the Last Judgment - now they will forever be blessed and glorify the triune God.

Fresco by Masaccio "Trinity"

But this fresco is almost 600 years old. It was painted by the famous Florentine artist Masaccio, who was given a very short life - the painter did not live up to 27 years. However, this did not prevent him from perpetuating his memory in the form of priceless masterpieces of world art.

The fresco depicts the crucified Christ, but unlike most similar images, in the background we see the Father who supports him.

Icon "Trinity" Hieronymus Cosido

The plot with the Trinity was often used by the masters of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance to create magnificent paintings. They depicted the faces of the triune God, the crucifixion of Christ, the service of Abraham to three angels.

These images, of course, do not apply to icons. Moreover, even among secular paintings, they can be found much less frequently than, for example, the coronation of the Virgin.

The tradition of drawing three faces in one person was laid by the master of the late Renaissance, Jerome Cosido. Such pictures were intended to show the triune nature of God and, as it were, to explain to unbelieving people this most important position of the Christian faith.

However, this style never caught on. Of course, everyone has different tastes, but in this case, you can feel a clear dissonance.

Thus, the question of which Saints are depicted on the icon of the Trinity is not entirely correct. After all, the canvases always depict God himself in his three faces - the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. And Abraham and Sarah are his faithful servants who remained devoted to the Lord to the end.

Therefore, the icon of the Holy Trinity is not only an image of the triune God, but also a visible proof that the Almighty fulfills his promises, which means that all our bright desires will come true.

Orthodox Christians have already begun preparations for one of the biggest holidays - the Trinity. This year it falls on June 23rd. The celebration of the Holy Trinity mixed pagan and Orthodox traditions. Believers on Sunday morning must go to church with bouquets of fragrant herbs, thin birch and apple twigs. They are sprinkled with holy water by a priest dressed in green robes. The floor in the temple and in the houses is covered with cut grass and flowers. Parishioners near the icon of the Holy Trinity. At the same time, many pay attention to the fact that this icon may look different. So, in one case, the icon depicts the Holy Trinity in the form of three angels. In another case, God the Father has the appearance of an old man, next to him is Jesus Christ, but the Holy Spirit is depicted in the form of a dove. What are these differences related to?

Trinity Old Testament

The icon, where the Holy Trinity is three angels, is called the Old Testament. This image is based on the biblical story.

- Back in the times of the Old Testament, there was such a patriarch Abraham, who had the appearance of three angels. It was the appearance of the Trinity, - three angels appeared to him, who announced to him: his wife Sarah would give birth to a great offspring, although they were already quite old people. And when this was fulfilled, Abraham realized that God had appeared to him. And since that time, the canonical image is recognized by the Holy Church in the form of three angels.

The Old Testament "Holy Trinity" is depicted as three angels sitting under a tree. On the table in front of them is a treat offered by Abraham, who stands nearby. Sarah is either right there, together with Abraham, standing before the Holy Trinity, or in a tent. On the icon, painted by Andrei Rublev, only three Angels are depicted. They are depicted seated around the throne, in the center of which is placed the Eucharistic chalice with the head of a sacrificial calf. It symbolizes the New Testament lamb, that is, Christ. The meaning of this image is sacrificial love. left angel (God the Father) He blesses the cup with his right hand. Medium angel (Son) depicted in the gospel robes of Jesus Christ. His right hand with a symbolic signet is lowered to the throne. God the Son expresses obedience to the will of God the Father and readiness to sacrifice himself in the name of love for people. Right angel gesture (Holy Spirit) completes the symbolic conversation between the Father and the Son, affirming the lofty meaning of sacrificial love, and consoles the doomed to sacrifice.

New Testament Trinity

Here God the Father depicted as an old man. In the halo above his head are the same letters that are written in the halo of the Savior, meaning "Existing". Although the halo itself may not be round, but triangular. Jesus Christ sits next to God the Father. In the right hand the Savior holds the opened Gospel, in the left - the instrument of Salvation, the Cross. God Holy Spirit depicted as a dove hovering over them. God the Holy Spirit is depicted as a dove, because that is how He revealed Himself at the Baptism of the Savior.

- An icon depicting the Lord of Hosts (one of the biblical names of God the Father), our Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove, we do not reject. It is also present in our temples,” says Archpriest Alexander Malichenko (Savior Transfiguration Cathedral). - But we will say that this is so that we can understand the Holy Trinity. We know that there is God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. But seeing the Three Angels of the Saints on the icon, that grandmother who comes to the temple cannot comprehend this. For greater admonition of this grandmother, who is not versed in the dogma of the Trinity, such an icon is depicted that is more understandable for the parishioners.

– They say that it is impossible to depict God the Father, continues the theme Archpriest Roman Viknyansky (Church of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God), - but each person is depicted in the image and likeness of God. Therefore, we depict God the Father in the form of an old man with a gray beard, because the Lord himself appeared to us in the form of a man, the son of the Virgin Mary. That is, if God had some other image, then for sure, in my opinion, the son would appear in some other image, not a man. Even those angels who appeared to people, they always appeared in the form of a person. And nothing else. The church is quite positive about this. And there is no canonical digression in the fact that God the Father is depicted as an aged man.

Fatherland

There are also icons of the Holy Trinity, where God the Father, depicted by the Elder, has Spas-Emmanuel on his knees, that is, the Savior, depicted in infancy or adolescence. Above them, as on the icon of the New Testament Trinity, is the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove. This image is called "Fatherland". These two images of the Holy Trinity, strictly speaking, are non-canonical, but are often found in Orthodox churches.

Symbolism of the Trinity

The symbolism and ambiguity of the images of the "Trinity" date back to ancient times. For most peoples, such concepts as a tree, a bowl, a meal, a house (temple), a mountain, a circle, a triangle (pyramid) had a symbolic meaning.

“There are many symbols in our everyday life,” says Archpriest Alexander Malichenko (Spasso-Preobrazhensky Cathedral). - And when people begin to understand all this, to delve into it, they sometimes come to the conclusion that the pyramid has a Masonic significance. No, it's different here. There are ten properties of God that are emphasized in symbols. One of them is a triangle (not a pyramid) - it is a symbol of omniscience and the fact that God is omnipresent. The eye is the all-seeing eye. This is the image of God the Father. That is, God is omnipresent, he sees everything, knows everything.

But in one thing, all the priests are in solidarity: even if you do not understand all these nuances and subtleties, the main thing is to have God in your heart, be sincere in prayer and observe the “golden mean” in everything.

Some differences between canonical and academic writing

– The canonical and academic style of writing icons differ. For example, in the Upper Church of the Transfiguration Cathedral, the icons are painted in the academic style, in the Lower Church - in the canonical style, – clarifies Archpriest Alexander Malichenko (Spasso-Preobrazhensky Cathedral).

Canonical letter:

Non-canonical (academic) writing:

• Pronounced sensuality and emotionality.
• The absence of Jesus Christ or his substitution by an angel.
• Numerous optional details related to earth.
• Perhaps the absence of important symbolic elements.

Prayer to the Holy Trinity

Holy Trinity, have mercy on us! Lord, cleanse our sins, Vladyka, forgive our iniquities, Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities, for Your name's sake!

Lord have mercy. (Three times)

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and forever, and forever and ever. Amen.

The history of the holiday

The feast of the Holy Trinity is dedicated to the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles. It happened on the fiftieth day after the resurrection of Christ. It was from this moment that the Church of Christ began its existence. We can say that the feast of the Trinity is a kind of birthday of the Church.

And in ancient times, the Slavs celebrated at this time the farewell to spring and the meeting of summer: it was then that a tradition was formed to go to the cemetery and sweep the graves with birch branches in order to propitiate and calm the spirits of dead ancestors. It was believed that on this day the branches of the tree acquire a special healing power.

Herbs consecrated in the church, and to this day it is customary to dry and carefully store until next year. They are used only as a last resort, for example, in the treatment of serious illnesses. Celebrated the feast of the Holy Trinity and in nature. Green tablecloths specially prepared for the holiday were spread on the grass, loaves were decorated with flowers and greenery. The girls started games and fortune-telling: they threw spoons into a birch to find out which of them would marry first, rode boats lavishly decorated with greenery. For divination on the Trinity, it was customary to weave wreaths and throw them into the water. If the wreath sinks - to trouble, spins on the spot - to discord and discord in the family, floats - be good luck, for an imminent wedding. Many of these traditions are disappearing, but even now people go out of town on the day of the Holy Trinity, arrange holidays, and those who are especially enterprising organize costume festivities. Orthodox believers prefer to spend this day in prayer.