Icon "orant" - history, meaning, description. Type of icons "oranta", "sign", "great panagia"
"Oranta" - Mother of God praying for people
This iconographic scheme, also known as the "Sign" (in honor of the defense of Novgorod from the regiments of Andrei Bogolyubsky) or "Panagia" - "All Saint", belongs to the earliest.
It is easy to identify this type by the open hands of the Virgin, which are raised to the sky. This variety is also often associated with the virtue of faith. The Mother of God gave birth to the Savior, who came to heal all of humanity, and the Orthodox believe in this fact.
The Mother of God is depicted on the icon from the front, usually to the waist, with her hands raised to the level of her head, spread apart and bent at the elbows. (Since ancient times, this gesture means prayer appeal to God). In Her bosom, against the background of a round sphere, Spas Emmanuel.
Icons of this type are also called "Panagia" (Greek "all-holy").
On Russian soil, this image was called "The Sign", and this is how it happened.
On November 27, 1169, during the assault on Novgorod by the squad of Andrei Bogolyubsky, the inhabitants of the besieged city brought an icon to the wall. One of the arrows pierced the image, and the Mother of God turned her face to the city, shedding tears.
Tears fell on the phelonion of the Novgorod Bishop John, and he exclaimed:
“Oh wonderful miracle! How do tears flow from dry wood? Queen!
You give us a sign that you are praying before your Son for the deliverance of the city.
Encouraged Novgorodians repulsed the Suzdal regiments...
AT Orthodox church images of this type are traditionally placed at the top of the altar.
The main meaning of the icons of the Sign moved from the intercessory intercessory prayer of Our Lady Oranta to the Incarnation of Christ. A sign is, in a certain sense, an image of the Annunciation and an omen of the Nativity and the gospel events following it up to the Second Coming.
In the St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv (XI century) there is one of the most famous mosaic images of Oranta (the height of the figure is 5 m 45 cm). One of the epithets assigned to this image is "Indestructible Wall".
Oranta is distinguished from other iconographic types of the image of the Virgin Mary by majesty and monumentality. Her posture is extremely static, the composition is symmetrical, which corresponds to the ideas of wall paintings and mosaics, arts and crafts, while in icon painting, independent images of the Virgin Oranta without the Child are used extremely rarely. This image is part of complex compositions, for example, in the iconography of the holidays of the Ascension or the Intercession.
In Byzantine and Old Russian ecclesiastical art, the image of the Mother of God Orans with the Christ Child in the iconography of Emmanuel was popular (Heb. - God is with us - one of the prophetic names of God the Son, used in the prophecy of Isaiah (Is VII, 14), represents Christ the lad). Usually Christ is depicted in a round medallion, or slightly visible (translucent) at the level of the Mother's chest.
On the icons in the iconography of the Sign, the Mother of God can be depicted both in height and waist-high.
The development of the iconography of the Sign was the composition of such icons as the Inexhaustible Chalice.
Mentions of such a prayer posture are found in the Old Testament, and the first drawings of the Virgin Mary with arms raised and outstretched to the sides are already found in the Roman catacombs. The shrine looks majestic and monumental, therefore a static and symmetrical composition is often included in wall paintings and mosaics - for example, the Cathedral of St. Sophia of Kiev in the 11th century is decorated like this.
Similar relics are shoulder or waist, but sometimes there are figures in full height. In addition, the icon of the Mother of God "Oranta" is traditionally placed in the upper part of the altar. It can be an element of more complex works dedicated to the Feasts of the Protection of the Intercession or the Ascension, or it can be supplemented by the face of Christ Emmanuel, inscribed in a round medallion at the level of the Madonna's chest.
The meaning of this image is the intercessory prayer of the Blessed Virgin, Her protection and patronage. Also, this shrine reminds believers of the Annunciation, the Nativity of Christ and subsequent events, up to the Second Coming.
This is the most theologically rich iconographic type and is associated with the theme of the Incarnation. The iconographic scheme is based on two texts: from Old Testament- the prophecy of Isaiah: "So the Lord himself will give you a sign: behold, the Virgin in the womb will receive and give birth to a Son, and they will call His name: Emmanuel" (Is. 7.14) and from the New Testament - the words of the Angel in the Annunciation: "The Holy Spirit will find on you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you, therefore the Holy One who is being born will be called the Son of God" (Luke 1.35). These words reveal to us the mystery of the Incarnation, the birth of the Savior from the Virgin, the birth of the Son of God from an earthly woman.
This finds its expression in the iconographic scheme: Mary is represented in the pose of Oranta, that is, praying, with her hands raised to the sky; at the level of Her chest there is a medallion (or sphere) with the image of the Savior Emmanuel, who is in the womb of the Mother. The Mother of God can be represented full-length, as in the Yaroslavl Oranta, Great Panagia icon, or waist-length, as in the Kursk Root or the Novgorod Sign, this is not so significant. More important is the combination of the figures of the Mother of God and the (half-figure) of Christ, which conveys one of the deepest revelations: the birth of God in the flesh, Mary becomes the Mother of God through the incarnation of the Logos. At the moment of contemplation of the icon, the holy of holies, the inner Mary, in the bowels of which the God-man is conceived by the Holy Spirit, is revealed to the praying one. "Your womb is more spacious" - this is how the Mother of God is called in the Akathist. We see her at the moment of standing before God: "Behold the servant of the Lord, let it be done to me according to thy word" (Luke 1.38). Her hands are raised in prayer (this gesture is described in Exodus 17.11). In the Yaroslavl "Oranta" this gesture is repeated in the figure of the Child, only Her palms are open, and the position of Emmanuel's fingers is different - they are folded in blessing. In other versions of the Sign, the Child holds a scroll in one hand - a symbol of teaching, and blesses with the other. The clothes of the Mother of God are traditional - a red maforium and a blue undergarment. These are the clothes of the Mother of God on all icons (with rare exceptions), and, we recall, their colors symbolize the union in Her of Virginity and Motherhood, Her earthly nature and her heavenly calling. In the Yaroslavl "Oranta" the clothes of the Virgin are flooded with golden light (depicted as a large assist), which is an expression of the streams of grace of the Holy Spirit, which poured out on the Blessed Virgin at the moment of conception. On both sides of Mary, heavenly forces are depicted - either archangels with mirrors in their hands (Yaroslavl "Oranta"), or a blue cherub and a fiery red seraphim. The presence in the composition of angelic and heavenly powers means that the Mother of God, by her humble consent to participate in the act of the Incarnation, raises humanity to a step above the angels and archangels, for God, according to St. fathers, did not take on the angelic form, but put on human flesh. In the hymn glorifying the Mother of God, it is sung like this: "The most honest cherub and the most glorious seraphim without comparison."
The iconographic scheme of the "Sign" can be very simple, as in the Novgorod version, or it can be developed and complicated, as in the case of the Yaroslavl "Oranta". The composition of the latter, for example, includes a rarely seen detail that reveals the liturgical aspect of this image. This is an eagle - a rug under Mary's feet, such are used in bishops' worship. In this case, the eagle symbolizes the cosmic service of the Mother of God, which is before God for the entire human race. The Mother of God stands on an eagle as if on a cloud amid golden radiance God's glory- The Mother of God is a new creature, a transfigured creation, new person. The scheme of the Kursk Root Icon is supplemented by the image of the prophets, interconnected by the likeness of a flourishing vine. The prophets have the scrolls of their prophecies in their hands. All this symbolizes that the Mother of God and God's Son, born of Her, is the fulfillment of all Old Testament prophecies and aspirations. So, in different iconographic variants, in the presence of a common iconographic core, the same theme of the Incarnation is revealed, therefore the iconographic type "Sign" is sometimes called "Incarnation".
One of the variants of the iconography of the "Sign" is "Oranta". In this case, the Mother of God is presented without the Child in the same position, with her hands raised. An example of such a variant is the image "Our Lady - the Indestructible Wall" from St. Sophia of Kiev (mosaic, 10th century). Here the Mother of God is presented as a symbol of the Church. For the first time Augustine saw in the Mother of God - the Church. This association has received a wide range of interpretations in the history of theological thought.
How does the icon "The Sign of the Most Holy Theotokos" help?
She protects the house and family from any hardships, troubles and problems, supports in difficult times, gives hope and new strength. Varieties of this relic are the "Indestructible Wall", "Inexhaustible Chalice", Kursk, Novgorod, Yaroslavl shrines.
The figure of the Mother of God, depicted in full growth with the Divine Infant, is called "Great Panagia", which means "All Saints".
Half-length images of icons of the "Great Panagia" type in ancient Russian icon painting became widespread and became known as "The Sign". One of the values Slavic word a sign is a miracle. And indeed, the image of the infant Christ in the bosom of the Virgin is a symbol of the greatest miracle, the miracle of the Incarnation, when the Beginningless and Incomprehensible God fit into human body. The word sign is akin to the Slavic verb I sign - I convene, I call to worship. This reveals the second deep meaning of this iconography: the raised hands of the Mother of God, as a symbol of prayer; the infant Christ in a circle as a symbol of the Eucharist; the entrustments in the hands of the Mother of God are a symbol of the co-service of the entire Church to its Heavenly Primate.
orans- praying) - one of the main types of image of the Mother of God, representing Her with her arms raised and outstretched to the sides, open palms outward, that is, in the traditional gesture of intercessory prayer.A similar prayer posture has been known since biblical (Old Testament) times. The first images of the Virgin Oranta (without the Child) are already found in the Roman catacombs. This iconographic scheme was most widely used in the post-iconoclastic period. So, in the church of Nea in Constantinople, built under Basil I in the period from to the year (not preserved), there was an image of Oranta in the conch of the apse. The upper register of the apse murals becomes a traditional place for a mosaic or fresco image of the Virgin Oranta. In the apse of the St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv (XI century) there is one of the most famous mosaic images of Oranta (the height of the figure is 5 m 45 cm). One of the epithets assigned to this image is " Unbreakable Wall».
From other iconographic types of the image of the Virgin, Oranta is distinguished by majesty and monumentality. Her posture is extremely static, the composition is symmetrical, which corresponds to the ideas of wall paintings and mosaics, decorative and applied art. In icon painting, independent images of the Virgin Orans without the Child are used extremely rarely. This image is part of complex compositions, for example, in the iconography of the Ascension or Intercession holidays.
In Byzantine and ancient Russian church art, the image of the Virgin Orans with the Christ Child was popular in the iconography of Emmanuel ( God is with us(Heb.) - one of the prophetic names of God the Son, used in the prophecy of Isaiah (Is VII, 14), represents Christ the Child). Usually Christ is depicted in a round medallion, or slightly visible (translucent) at the level of the Mother's chest. In the Russian tradition, this type of iconography received a special name - " The Omen". The main meaning of the "Sign" icons moved from the intercessory intercessory prayer of Our Lady Oranta to the Incarnation of Christ. A sign is, in a certain sense, an image of the Annunciation and an omen of the Nativity and the gospel events following it up to the Second Coming.
The development of the iconography of the Sign was the composition of such icons as the Inexhaustible Chalice.
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See what "Oranta" is in other dictionaries:
ORANTA, one of the oldest Christian images depicting human figure with hands raised in prayer. Was associated primarily with the image of the martyrs, goes back to the pagan funerary iconography. In the early centuries of Christianity... encyclopedic Dictionary
- (from Latin orans, genus ogantis praying) one of the iconographic types of the Mother of God. O. is depicted full-length with arms raised to the level of the face and palms turned towards the viewer. Type O. goes back to the early Christian images of those praying ... Great Soviet Encyclopedia
G. Iconographic type of the Mother of God. Explanatory Dictionary of Ephraim. T. F. Efremova. 2000... Modern dictionary Russian language Efremova
Oranta- Oranta, s (iconographic type of the Mother of God) ... Russian spelling dictionary
oranta- and, well. One of the oldest Christian images; depiction of a figure of a person with raised hands in a gesture of prayer; Mother of God… Ukrainian glossy dictionary
oranta- (lat. what to pray) One of the iconographic types of the Mother of God, a monumental image that is famously placed in the conscience of the central apse of the temple, as well as on Byzantine and ancient Russian icons. The figure is shown frontally at the front with raised to ... ... Architecture and monumental art
ORANTA- (lat. orans praying) one of the iconographic. images of the Mother of God, formed in cf. century. The Mother of God was depicted full-length with her hands raised to the level of her face and her palms turned away from her. O. has become widespread in iconography and in painting ... ... Atheistic Dictionary
Insurance company "Oranta"- Oranta Insurance Company LLC was founded in 1995. Oranta Insurance universal Insurance Company, which had licenses dated August 8, 2013 to conduct operations on 23 types of insurance (including OSAGO), as well as reinsurance ... Encyclopedia of Newsmakers
DEMITRY OF THESOLUNSK- († ca. 306), vmch. (Commemorated Oct. 26), one of the most revered saints in Orthodoxy. world, the patron of the city of Thessalonica (glory. Thessalonica). The Greeks call D. S. Myrrh-bearer (ὁ μυροβλύτης / μυροβλήτης), because his relics exuded myrrh, and in Byzantium. texts ... ... Orthodox Encyclopedia
Catacombs of Rome (Italian: Catacombe di Roma) a network of ancient catacombs used as burial places, for the most part during the period of early Christianity. In total, there are more than 60 different catacombs in Rome (150,170 km long, about 750,000 ... ... Wikipedia
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According to St. Ambrose of Milan, based on the words of Dionysius the Areopagite and Ignatius the God-bearer, the Apostles of the 70, Holy Mother of God living on earth
“The Virgin was not only in flesh, but also in spirit, humble in her heart, God-wise in words,
in verb is not fast; tireless in reading scriptures, cheerful in labors, wishing well to everyone,
she did not disdain the poor, did not laugh at anyone, Her appearance was the image of Her inner perfection.
She turned all her days into fasting: she indulged in sleep only at the request of need,
but even then, as Her body was at rest, in spirit She was awake, repeating in dream read,
or contemplating the execution of supposed intentions,
or foreseeing new ones.
She left the house only to go to church, and then accompanied by relatives.
However, although She appeared outside Her house accompanied by others, the best guardian for Herself was She; others guarded only her body, and she guarded her customs herself.
And St. Epiphanius of Cyprus and after him Nicephorus Xanthopoulos, who lived - the first in the 4th, and the second in the 14th centuries, are mentioned on the basis of legends that have come down to them, even appearance Virgin Mary.
“The appearance of Her face was like the appearance of a grain of wheat, yellow hair, sharp eyes, in them the pupils were like a beak of an oil-bearing fruit; Her eyebrows are slanted and rather black; the nose is not short; mouth, like the color of a rose; the face is neither round nor sharp, but a little extended; hands and fingers are oblong; Her clothes are simple, as even now the holy cover of Her holy head is revealed.
Saint Proclus, Archbishop of Constantinople (5th century), counting the saints, blesses the Blessed Virgin with special praises.
“All the memories of the saints,” he says, “are glorious. But nothing equals glory with the triumph of the Mother of God. All the saints saw Christ only in divination, and She carried the Incarnate in her womb. There is nothing in the world that could compare with the Virgin Mary. Man! Pass with your mind all creations and see if anything can compare or surpass the Blessed Virgin Mary?Run through the earth, look at the sea, explore the air, deepen your thoughts into the heavens, test all the invisible forces, and say: is there another similar miracle in all creatures?
Heaven will tell the glory of God; angels serve God with fear; archangels worship with awe; the cherubim, unable to see the glory of God, are horrified; the seraphim, flying around, do not approach, but tremblingly cry out: holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts, heaven and earth are filled with His glory; the waters could not bear His voice (when taming the storm on the lake); the sun, unable to endure the reproach of the Creator, was eclipsed; hell spewed out the dead from fear; the rivets of hell were crushed at one glance, - count, man, everything wonderful and marvel at the superiority of the Virgin: Whom every creature praises with fear and trembling, Him she inexplicably received into her womb.
The main elements of the iconography of the Virgin
1. Nimbus, unlike the halo of the Savior, does not contain an inscribed cross.
2. Maforius(from Greek - cape) - outerwear of married women.
how married woman The Most Pure One has a veil on her head that falls on her shoulders, according to the custom of Jewish women of that time. This veil, or cape, in Greek is called maforium. Maforium is usually written in red (a symbol of suffering and a memory of royal origin). The lower garments are usually written in blue (a sign of heavenly purity of the most perfect of people).
The Maphorion of the Theotokos has been located in the Blachernae Church of Our Lady in Constantinople since 474.
3. Handrails- detail of liturgical vestments; in the iconography of the Mother of God - a symbol of co-service of the whole Church in the person of the Mother of God to the Heavenly Bishop - Christ.
4. Stars on maphoria have two meanings:
- it is a symbol of the purity of the Ever-Virgin “before Christmas, at Christmas and after Christmas”,
- symbol of the Holy Trinity.
5. Lettering MROU- an abbreviation of the words "Mother of God", and IC XC- abbreviated name of the Savior.
The Mother of God on Russian icons is always in sadness, but this sadness is different: sometimes mournful, sometimes bright, but always full of spiritual clarity, wisdom and great spiritual strength, the Mother of God can solemnly “reveal” the Baby to the world, can gently, press the Son to Herself or easily to support Him - She is always full of reverence, worships her Divine Child and meekly resigns herself to the inevitability of sacrifice. Lyricism, enlightenment and detachment - these are the main features characteristic of the image of the Virgin.
According to the Orthodox church calendar most days of the year are celebrated miraculous icons The Mother of God - about 260 revered and miraculous icons of the Mother of God. In total, there are about 860 of her icons. This is evidence not only of the special veneration of the Mother of God, of Her special role as Intercessor before the Lord for the orphans and the strange, the grieving and offended, but also evidence of the diversity of the Mother of God iconography.
But, as in the iconography of the Savior, here also stand out main types:
- "Praying" ("Oranta", "Panagia", "Omen")
- "Guidebook" ("Hodegetria")
- "Tenderness" ("Eleusa")
- "All-merciful" ("Panahranta")
- "Intercessor" ("Agiosortissa")
1. "Praying" ("Oranta", "Panagia", "Omen")
One of the main types of the image of the Mother of God, representing Her with her arms raised and spread out to the sides, palms open, outward, that is, in the traditional gesture of intercessory prayer. A similar prayer posture has been known since biblical (Old Testament) times. The first images of the Mother of God - "Oranta" (praying) (without the Child) are already found in the Roman catacombs. This iconographic scheme was most widely used in the post-iconoclastic period.
The Mother of God is depicted on the icon from the front, usually to the waist, with her hands raised to the level of her head, spread apart and bent at the elbows. (Since ancient times, this gesture has meant a prayerful appeal to God). In Her bosom, against the background of a round sphere - Savior Emmanuel.
Icons of this type are also called "Panagia" (Greek "all-holy").
On Russian soil, this image was called "The Sign", and this is how it happened.
On November 27, 1169, during the assault on Novgorod by the squad of Andrei Bogolyubsky, the inhabitants of the besieged city brought an icon to the wall. One of the arrows pierced the image, and the Mother of God turned her face to the city, shedding tears.
Tears fell on the phelonion of the Novgorod Bishop John, and he exclaimed:
“Oh wonderful miracle! How do tears flow from dry wood? Queen!Encouraged Novgorodians repulsed the Suzdal regiments...
You give us a sign that you are praying before your Son for the deliverance of the city.
In an Orthodox church, images of this type are traditionally placed at the top of the altar.
The main meaning of the icons of the Sign moved from the intercessory intercessory prayer of Our Lady Oranta to the Incarnation of Christ. A sign is, in a certain sense, an image of the Annunciation and an omen of the Nativity and the gospel events following it up to the Second Coming.
In the St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv (XI century) there is one of the most famous mosaic images of Oranta (the height of the figure is 5 m 45 cm). One of the epithets assigned to this image is "Indestructible Wall".
Oranta is distinguished from other iconographic types of the image of the Virgin Mary by majesty and monumentality. Her posture is extremely static, the composition is symmetrical, which corresponds to the ideas of wall paintings and mosaics, arts and crafts, while in icon painting, independent images of the Virgin Oranta without the Child are used extremely rarely. This image is part of complex compositions, for example, in the iconography of the holidays of the Ascension or the Intercession.
In Byzantine and ancient Russian church art, the image of the Virgin Oranta with the Christ Child in the iconography of Emmanuel was popular (Heb. - God is with us - one of the prophetic names of God the Son, used in the prophecy of Isaiah (Is VII, 14), represents Christ the lad). Usually Christ is depicted in a round medallion, or slightly visible (translucent) at the level of the Mother's chest.
On the icons in the iconography of the Sign, the Mother of God can be depicted both in height and waist-high.
The development of the iconography of the Sign was the composition of such icons as the Inexhaustible Chalice.
2. "Guidebook" ("Hodegetria")
On this icon we see the Mother of God, right hand which points to the Divine Infant Christ, seated on his left hand. The images are strict, rectilinear, the heads of Christ and the Blessed Virgin do not touch each other.
The Mother of God, as it were, tells the entire human race that the true path is the path to Christ. On this icon, she appears as a guide to God and eternal salvation. This is also one of the oldest types of images of the Virgin, which is believed to date back to the first icon painter - the holy Apostle Luke.
From a dogmatic point of view, the main meaning of this image is the appearance in the world of the Heavenly King and Judge and the worship of the royal Infant.
Unlike a fairly close type Eleusy the mutual relationship of the Mother and the Son serves: the icon no longer expresses boundless love, here the center of the composition is Christ facing the coming (viewer), the Mother of God, also depicted frontally (or with a slight tilt of the head), points with her hand at the Baby.
In our temple, the following icons of the “Guidebook” type are presented:
Of the icons of this type, the most famous are Kazan, Smolensk, Tikhvin, Georgian, Iverskaya, Pimenovskaya, Three-Handed, Passionate, Chestokhovskaya, Guidant of Sinners, etc.
3. "Tenderness" ("Eleusa")
On the icon "Tenderness" we see the Christ Child, leaning his left cheek against the right cheek of the Mother of God. The icon conveys the full tenderness of the communion of the Mother and the Son.
Since the Mother of God also symbolizes the Church of Christ, the icon shows all the fullness of love between God and man - that fullness that is possible only in the bosom of the Mother Church. Love unites the heavenly and the earthly, the divine and the human on the icon: the union is expressed by the contact of faces and the conjugation of halos.
The Mother of God thought, clutching her Son to Her: She, foreseeing way of the cross He knows what suffering awaits Him.
Of the icons of this type, the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God enjoys the greatest veneration.
It is probably no coincidence that this particular icon has become one of the greatest shrines. There are many reasons for this: ancient origin, fanned with the name of the Evangelist Luke; and the events connected with its transfer from Kyiv to Vladimir, and then to Moscow; and repeated participation in the salvation of Moscow from the terrible raids of the Tatars ... However, the very type of image of the Mother of God "Tenderness" apparently found a special response in the hearts, the idea of sacrificial service to her people was close and understandable, and the high sorrow of the Virgin, bringing her son into the world cruelty and suffering, Her pain was in tune with the feelings of all Orthodox Christians. Of the icons of this type in Russia, the most famous are “Sovereign” and “All-Tsaritsa”.
5. "Intercessor" ("Agiosortissa")
One of ancient images The Mother of God is considered the icon of the Mother of God "Oranta" (Praying). Often there is another name - the icon of the Mother of God "Panagia" (All-holy). According to the iconographic type, the icon "Great Panagia" goes back to the famous Blachernae Icon Mother of God from Constantinople.
In Russia, the most ancient in this way is the Yaroslavl Oranta (Great Panagia) icon, which, according to legend, was painted by the first Russian icon painter, St. Alypy, a monk Caves monastery in Kyiv.
Description of the icon
Traditionally, on the icon of the Mother of God "Oranta" the Mother of God is depicted with arms raised and outstretched to the sides, with Christ Emmanuel in a circle on her chest, also spreading her arms in a blessing gesture, which is rare: as a rule, on the icons of the Mother of God, the Infant or Child Christ is blessed with one hand .
The name "Emmanuel" bears any image of the Savior in adolescence, including on the icons of the Mother of God. His gaze is full of childish seriousness, and the gaze of the Mother of God is meekness and humility before the Will of God.
Subsequently, the same type of iconography became characteristic of the icons of the Mother of God "The Sign", "Life-Giving Spring" and "Inexhaustible Chalice".
The Panagia Sumela icon belongs to a slightly different iconographic type, which is also referred to as the Oranta (Panagia) type. This is a half-length image of the Mother of God with Jesus on her knees.
This icon has its own dramatic story. Tradition says that this face was painted by St. Luke himself. Miraculously, the icon ended up on a bare rock ledge, and the Mother of God herself ordered two Greek monks to build an Orthodox monastery here, which was called Sumela. This happened in the 4th century, and since then it has become widely known as the abode of the Virgin of the Black Mountain.
The meaning of the icon of the Mother of God "Oranta"
In iconography, each element of the image has its own meaning. So, on the icon “Theotokos Oranta”, the raised hands of the Mother of God are turned with palms to Heaven, which symbolizes her intercession before the Creator for every, even sinful, soul.
On the sleeves of the Mother of God there are cuffs in the form of wide ribbons with cords that tighten the sleeves at the wrist.
This element of the liturgical vestments of priests symbolizes the patronage and service of the Orthodox Church.
In view Orthodox icon"Panagia" expresses the main Christian dogmas, which include the virgin birth and the two essences of Jesus Christ - Divine and Human. Here Christ Emmanuel personifies the Eucharist - the main church sacrament of communion with the Body and Blood of Christ.
What do the icons "Oranta" ("Panagia") help with?
The Mother of God has always been the Heavenly Intercessor, Patroness, for this they turn to Her, praying for the salvation of the soul, for the healing of physical and mental ailments, for support in moments of difficult life trials, and she really helps.
Icons "Oranta" - "Panagia" have an incredible power of influence: they help to gain a clear understanding of the true path, bestow spiritual enlightenment, protect from the evil thoughts of enemies. The power of the “Oranta” icon is so great that it is able to protect entire countries from enemy attacks, it is not without reason that the Queen of Heaven appears on it in all Her majesty and power.
Prayer icon
Oh, our glorified intercessor, the Most Holy Theotokos! We offer our prayers to You! Our only hope is in you! Come to the aid of us sinners, help us cope with grief and sorrow! Save us from evil, protect our homeland from enemies and do not let us lose heart, O Holy Virgin! Lead on the path of righteousness, fill our souls with light! Cast out the darkness from our hearts, and the demons that have settled in our bodies! You are our only protector! Our salvation is in You! Pray before the Lord for our sins, grant us repentance and forgiveness! Be near and do not leave us, for we will glorify your name, Queen of Heaven! May it be the will of God. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Doctor of Historical Sciences
All lectures of the cycle can be viewed .
One of the favorite types of icons for icon painters and for believers is the image of the Mother of God. In general, in Russia, the veneration of the Mother of God Herself and Her icons is probably on a par with the worship of Jesus Christ Himself and the veneration of His icons. Therefore, it is a very important part of the spiritual life of Christians.
Among the icons of the Mother of God there is a type where She is alone and depicted in full growth. Moreover, these icons, as a rule, are very large in size, and in pre-Mongol Russia they played the same role in the temple that mosaics and frescoes usually played in the Byzantine temple. But in a wooden church, and there were most of them in Russia, it was impossible to paint a fresco, let alone make a mosaic. Due to the complex technology, the mosaic did not take root in Russia at all, so large full-length icons had great importance in monumental religious painting.
One type of such an icon is the Great Panagia - Oranta. In general, in translation from Greek, “Panagia” means “Most Merciful”, “pan” is “everything”, that is, mercy extends to everyone. Oranta is the Mother of God, praying for humanity, asking for indulgence from Her Son. Therefore, in such a purely Russian phenomenon as the iconostasis, which in Russian churches separates the altar from the nave where the faithful pray, there is necessarily a row called the deesis. In the center is Jesus the Almighty as the Great Judge at the Last Judgment, and on both sides of Him are the apostles, sometimes prophets and always the Mother of God, Who prays for forgiveness, the salvation of mankind.
A special type of Oranta is the Oranta with raised hands. This type of icon is also called the Indestructible Wall, which originally comes from the mosaic of the Kievan Sofia. Another type of the same full-length icons can be called "The Sign". This is when the Mother of God is depicted in full growth, but on Her chest there is a medallion in which there is an image of Jesus Christ either in the form of an Infant with an adult face, or in later icons in the form of Emmanuel, that is, Jesus the teenager. This icon, as it were, tells about the mission that God performs in this world in the form of a man, making a sacrifice in order to save Christians and humanity. This is the sign that a Christian who looks at this icon must understand.
The remaining images of the Virgin are very often made in a half-length perspective, and the Mother of God is often present on them not alone, but with Christ and even some other characters.
And, finally, there are icons where the image of the praying Oranta and the image of the Sign are combined in one icon. One of ancient icons of this type is the icon "Yaroslavl Oranta", or "The Yaroslavl Mother of God of the Sign". It received the name "Yaroslavl" because it was brought from Yaroslavl, where, however, according to many historians, it got in the 18th century from Rostov, in view of the transfer of the metropolitan see to Yaroslavl.
There is a lot of controversy about this pre-Mongolian icon, painted around 1218, that is, at the beginning of the 13th century. Many consider this icon, painted here, in Russia, by a Russian icon painter, the beginning of an entire Yaroslavl icon painting school, which later developed very much and was important for Russian icon painting. Others, on the contrary, say that, although the famous Yaroslavl school of icon painting later existed, however, “Oranta - the Sign” itself has no direct relation to it. According to one version, this icon was painted in Rostov, was located there until the 18th century in the church of the Assumption of the Virgin, and was painted by a Kiev, that is, already Russian, famous icon painter, whose name we know from sources - Alimpiy. He quite boldly combined two Byzantine canons of writing the Virgin in full growth - the Signs and Orans. Therefore, some experts call the icon "Oranta", while others say that the main thing is that there is a medallion with the image of Christ on the chest of the Virgin, and, most likely, this is the "Sign". In books, this icon is mentioned under both names and, of course, is one of the most famous images of the Virgin, from which Russian icon painters wrote from the 13th century and further in the 14th, 15th and later centuries.