Father Alexander Men on the Exaltation
Save, O Lord, Thy people and bless Thy inheritance, granting victory against resistance and Thy keeping Thy cross.
If the Nativity of the Mother of God is the threshold of the mystery of the Incarnation, then the Cross announces to us the redemptive sacrifice of Christ. Therefore, it also stands at the beginning of the church year.
The sign of the cross from deep pre-Christian antiquity was a symbol of the Divine and eternal life in many religions. But after Golgotha, the abstract hieroglyph became a real sign of salvation.
With a speed incomprehensible to the pagans, the news of the “folly of the Cross” swept through the world; Jews demanded signs, Hellenes - proofs, but in response they heard: "We preach Christ Crucified ...".
“We worship Your Cross, Vladyka,” the Church sings; - and we glorify your holy Resurrection ... ".
Through suffering to joy, through death to victory, through sacrificial self-giving to the fulfillment of the will of the Father—such is the path of the Redeemer of the world, such is the path of all who follow Him. “Whoever wants to follow Me, let him take up his cross and follow Me.” It's not just hardship and suffering; by themselves they may not be a "cross". “Taking up your cross” means “rejecting yourself”, conquering selfishness, learning to live for others, learning courage, patience, and total devotion to Christ.
The hymns of the feast speak of the Cross, which rises above the world as "the beauty of the Church," as "the affirmation of the faithful." He is a sign of God's love for man, a herald of the coming transformation of nature. “Let the oak trees rejoice, having been sanctified to their nature, having been planted from Him from the beginning” (canon of the Exaltation).
Already in the II century, Christians began to overshadow themselves with the sign of the cross. Even earlier, the first images of the cross appeared in the Church. These depictions predate the Crucifixions, the earliest of which were made around the 6th century.
Of all the types of Crucifixes, perhaps the most majestic is that which arose in Byzantium. Christ is depicted as having "betrayed the spirit". Head bowed, eyes closed. But the most remarkable thing is the hands. They are not lifeless. They are open like an embrace. In all the guise of the Crucified, peace and forgiveness. Already, as it were, a victory over death is foreshadowed ...
Holiday kontakion:
Ascended to the cross by will, to your namesake new residence, grant Your bounty, Christ God, rejoice us with Your power, giving us victories for comparisons, help to those who have Yours, the weapon of the world, an invincible victory.
The origin of the holiday is associated with the triumph of Christianity under Constantine the Great (IV century), who erected the Church of the Resurrection on the site of Golgotha and the Holy Sepulcher. This place attracted Christian pilgrims from the first years of the Church's existence, but at the beginning of the 2nd century, the emperor Hadrian, hostile to both Judaism and Christianity, decided to destroy all traces of both religions that were objectionable to him. He completely rebuilt Jerusalem, calling it Elia, dug down the Calvary hill, filled up the cave of St. Sepulcher and built a temple of Venus there.
When Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity, he ordered the temple to be demolished and excavations to begin on the holy site. “They removed layer after layer,” writes a contemporary of the events, Eusebius, “suddenly, in the depths of the earth, beyond all expectations, there was an empty space, and then an honest and all-holy sign of the saving Resurrection.” It was the cave of the Holy Sepulcher. The emperor provided the Bishop of Jerusalem Macarius with the means to build a temple over the cave.
After some time, Palestine was visited by the elderly mother of Constantine, Elena. Eusebius has no reports that she managed to find the authentic Cross of Christ. But in the second half of the 4th century, this relic was already honored in Jerusalem. St. Cyril testifies that parts of the Cross were sent throughout the empire. According to St. John Chrysostom, a sign by which they learned that it was the Cross of the Lord, was the inscription on it. At the beginning of the 5th century, Rufin already definitely associated the find with the name of St. Helena, and the historian Sozomen recorded a legend around 440 about how the queen was looking for the Cross and found it buried in the ground near Golgotha. To verify its authenticity, a dead man was placed on the shrine, and he came to life. After that, the patriarch "raised" the Cross over the praying crowd. The lack of information from Eusebius gave rise to historians to consider Sozomen's story a legend. But there is nothing incredible about the fact that the Cross was actually found. According to Jewish custom, the instruments of execution were placed in a mass grave along with the bodies of the crucified. Therefore, the Cross of Christ could be buried next to the robbers.
Be that as it may, the veneration of the Cross is of great general Christian significance. In honor of this shrine, the Feast of the Exaltation was established.
On the eve of it, during the all-night service (after the Great Doxology), the priest brings the image of the Cross to the middle of the temple. In the cathedral churches there is a custom to "raise" it to the four cardinal points while singing "Lord, have mercy."
On the day of the Exaltation, fasting was established.
World Exaltation of the Holy and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord- one of the master's (from the Slavic " twelve ten"- twelve), that is, the largest, installed in remembrance of how the Equal-to-the-Apostles queen Elena mother of the emperor Constantine, found the cross on which our Lord Jesus Christ was crucified. This event, according to church tradition, took place in 326 in Jerusalem near Mount Golgotha - the place of the crucifixion of Christ. Holiday Exaltation of the Holy Cross is non-transitive, always noted September 27(September 14, old style). It has one day of pre-feast (September 26) and seven days of after-feast (September 28 to October 4). Giving a holiday - The 4th of October. In addition, the Feast of the Exaltation is preceded by a Saturday and a Week (Sunday), called Saturday and the Week before the Exaltation.
Exaltation of the Holy Cross. History and event of the holiday
Day Exaltation of the Holy and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord- one of the oldest Orthodox holidays. It is performed in memory of two events from the history of the Cross of the Lord: in memory of its acquisition in the 4th century and in memory of its return from the Persians in the 7th century. The Holy Cross of the Lord, shortly after the removal of the Savior from it, was buried in the ground by the Jews, along with the crosses of two robbers. This place was subsequently built up with a pagan temple. The acquisition of the Cross took place in 325 or 326. According to church historians of the 4th century, the mother of the emperor Constantine, equal to the apostles Elena, went to Jerusalem to find places associated with the events of the earthly life of Christ, as well as the holy Cross. According to legend, Saint Helen tried to find out the place where the Cross was buried from the Jews of Jerusalem. She was pointed to the place where the pagan temple of Venus was located. The building was demolished and excavations began. Finally, they found three crosses, a sign with the inscription " Jesus the Nazarene, King of the Jews and nails. To find out on which of the three crosses the Lord was crucified, they were applied in turn to a seriously ill woman. When she was healed after touching one of the crosses, all those gathered glorified God, who pointed to the greatest shrine of the true Cross of the Lord, which was raised by the bishop for all to see. Tradition also speaks of the miracle of the resurrection of the dead, who was carried to burial, through touching the Cross.
Sts. Konstantin and Elena. Theophanes of Crete. Fresco. Meteora (Nikolai Anapafsa). 1527 When the reverent worship of the Cross and kissing it began, due to the crowd, many could not only kiss the holy Cross, but even see it, therefore the Patriarch of Jerusalem Macarius showed the newfound Cross to the people. To do this, he stood on a dais and raised (" erected") Cross. People worshiped the Cross and prayed: Lord have mercy!» The acquisition of the Cross took place around , so the initial honoring of the Cross took place on the second day of Easter. After finding the Holy Cross, Emperor Constantine began the construction of temples on Golgotha. A large basilica was built directly near Golgotha and the cave of the Holy Sepulcher martyrium and rotunda Sunday(Holy Sepulcher). The consecration took place on September 13, 335. Interestingly, the consecration of the temple also influenced the date of the holiday. The bishops who were present at these celebrations decided to celebrate the finding and exaltation of the Holy Cross on September 14, and not on May 3, as was the case in previous years. So, from the biography of the saint John Chrysostom it can be seen that in his time in Constantinople the celebration of the exaltation of the Cross took place on September 14th. In 614, under the Persian king Khozroe, the Persians took possession of Jerusalem and, together with other treasures of the temple, stole the holy Cross of the Lord. The shrine remained in the hands of the pagans for 14 years, and only in 628, under the Greek emperor Heraclius, The cross was returned to Jerusalem. Since the 7th century, the celebration Exaltation of the Holy and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord became especially solemn.
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Exaltation of the Holy Cross. worship
This holiday is both solemn and sad, it reminds not only of the greatness and triumph of the Lord's victory over death, but also of His suffering on the Cross. The main feature of the service on the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross is removal at the end of the evening service of the Cross from the altar for reverent worship. After a great doxology, the priest lays the Cross on his head and in the presentation of lamps, incense and singing " Holy God”takes him out of the altar through the northern doors. Then, at the end of the singing, he proclaims: forgive wisdom". The singers sing: Save, O Lord, your people". The priest places the Holy Cross on the lectern prepared in the middle of the temple and performs incense before it. After this, there is a worship of the Cross when the clergy sing:
We worship Thy Cross, Master, and glorify Thy holy Resurrection.
Vestments of the clergy on a holiday Exaltation of the Cross it is dark, mourning, and women put on dark scarves. In memory of the sufferings of the Lord on the Cross, fasting is established on this day - food is supplied only with vegetable oil. The verses of the feast reveal the doctrine of the meaning of the sufferings of Christ. The sufferings of Jesus Christ put to death the one who killed us, i.e. the devil, and revived people mortified by sin; the poison of the ancient serpent was washed away by the blood of Jesus Christ. The verses and the canon of the Exaltation were compiled by well-known creators of church hymns - Feofan, Cosma and others. They showed the connection of the New Testament events with the Old Testament events, pointing out the types of the Cross of the Lord. So, in one of the verses on lithium we hear:
For example, krt your xrte, patriarch i3y1kov, vnykwm blessing of the gift, on the heads of the change, create the hand.
The stichera, which are sung during the veneration of the Cross at the end of the evening service, are filled with a high spiritual mood:
When you come, faithfully, bow to the life-giving tree, let us spread the glory of the king of glory, lift us up to the first bliss. Come, people, glorious chyu6to see krta sila bow down. Bring on the creatures, and 3 glory, on which it is nailed, and 3 in 8 the ribs are pierced. bile and 3 nets 8 eats, the sweetness of tsrk0 vnaz. ... and 3 hangs with a roaring hand, and with the same hand creating a bang. Even if there are not touchable beings, it happens to me. i3 suffers from the art, freedom from mz t strtє1y.
In proverbs for the holiday Exaltations contains such thoughts: in the first proverb (Ex. XV, 22-27; XVI, 1) it is told how Moses, during the wandering of the Jews in the wilderness, healed a spring with bitter water by investing a tree. This tree, which sweetened the bitter water, represented the power of the Cross of the Lord. In the second proverb (Prov. III, 11-18) a man is pleased who cares about acquiring the tree of wisdom, which is “ tree of life”For those who acquire it, our wisdom and our tree of life is the Cross of Christ. The third proverb (Isaiah LX, 11-16) contains the prophecy of Isaiah about the greatness and glory of the city of the Lord, holy Jerusalem, which the Lord will clothe with greatness forever and joy for generations of generations.
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The canon depicts the power of the Cross, which was revealed in the Old Testament prototypes of the cross (Moses, who raised his hands crosswise during the battle and thereby begged for victory; the tree that sweetened the waters of Merra, etc.), and in the New Testament miracles - through the very Cross of the Lord. The Apostle says (I Cor., I, 18-24) that the Cross, i.e. the sufferings of Jesus Christ represent God's power and God's Wisdom. The Gospel (John XIX, 6-11, 13-20, 25-28, 30-35) contains the history of the suffering of Christ the Savior.
Troparion and Kontakion for the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross
Troparion to the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. Church Slavonic text:
With the help of 22 gD and people svoS, and 3 bless2 dignified svoE, victory to the power of the Russians on resistance, grant, and 3 svoS save krt0m people.
Russian text:
Save, Lord, your people and bless us, Your property, giving our country victory over the opponents, the enemies of His kingdom, and preserving our people by the power of Your Cross.
Kontakion holiday. Church Slavonic text:
In ozneshisz on whom I pour, the namesake 1 of that new residence of yours2. your generosity, grant xrte b9e. rejoice2 with the strength of your country, our country, victories and the 4th on the commensurate, help and support your arms, the world's invincible victory.
Russian text:
Ascended to the Cross voluntarily, to the people named after You, grant Your mercy, Christ God; exalt our country with your strength, giving it victory over enemies, may it have help from you, a weapon of peace, an invincible victory.
Order of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
In Rus' rite of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross It has been known since the 13th century and is an integral part of the Liturgy of the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross. He has centuries of history. The earliest record of this rank has been preserved in the so-called Jerusalem canonar, dating back to 634-644 by the time of its origin. In different monuments we find diversity in the descriptions of this rite: some describe how the rite is performed during the service of the Patriarch with a host of clergy, others - only a priest with a deacon. Saint Cyprian of Moscow in his letter of 1395 to the Novgorod clergy, he wrote that on the day of the Exaltation of the Cross, the Cross should be erected in every church, even if there is only one priest. In the old printed Moscow Typicon of 1641, an indication appeared that the Cross was erected only in cathedral churches and monasteries, and in ordinary parish churches, only worship of the Cross took place on the Exaltation of the Cross, according to the order of the Holy Week. This custom continues to this day: rite of the Exaltation of the Cross is performed only in cathedral churches where a metropolitan or bishop serves.
The bishop, taking the Cross and standing to the east (towards the altar), begins the first exaltation - raising the Cross up. In front of the Cross, at some distance, the deacon stands, holding a candle in his left hand, and a censer in his right, and proclaims: “ Have mercy on us God". The singers sing a hundred times: Lord have mercy". At the start of the chant Lord have mercy"The bishop thrice overshadows the Cross to the east and, while singing the first half of the centurion, slowly bows his head with the Cross as low as he can," a span from the ground". When singing the second half of the centurion, it slowly rises. While singing for the 97th time " Lord have mercy The bishop straightens up and, standing straight, again overshadows the Cross three times to the east. The second exaltation is performed by the bishop, turning to the west, the third - to the south, the fourth - to the north, the fifth - again to the east. The singers also sing at this time: Lord have mercy! Then the worship of the Cross begins, during which the singers sing the usual stichera.
Exaltation of the Holy Cross. Icons
In Byzantine art, the basis of the iconography of the holiday Exaltation of the Holy Cross originally, it was not a real historical episode of finding the Cross, but an image of the rite of the Exaltation of the Cross, which was performed annually in the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople. Therefore, the Cross on the icons was often depicted as an altar. The first such images belong to the end of the 9th - the beginning of the 11th century. This iconographic variant was also used by Russian icon painters.
Exaltation of the Holy Cross The most common plot Icons of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross developed in Russian icon painting in the 15th-16th centuries. The Cross of Christ is depicted already monumental. In the center, on a high stepped elevation, stands the Patriarch with the Cross raised above his head. The deacons support him by the arms. Sometimes the Cross is decorated with plant branches. Behind you can see a large single-domed temple. Often in the foreground were depicted kneeling prayers and a large number of people who came to worship the shrine. The figures of Tsar Constantine and Empress Elena are on either side of the Patriarch, with outstretched hands in prayer, or on the right.
Exaltation of the Holy Cross. Folk traditions and beliefs in Rus'
holiday in Rus' Exaltation of the Holy and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord combined church and folk traditions. From ancient times there was a custom on the day of the Exaltation to erect chapels and small churches, as well as to erect crosses on temples under construction. Roadside votive crosses were also placed on the Feast of the Exaltation in gratitude for deliverance from misfortune and pestilence. On this day, icons were also raised to go around the fields, with a prayer for the future harvest.
September 27 was also called third Osenins or Stavrov day. It was the final day of Indian summer, the third and last meeting of autumn. In Rus', the Exaltation was also called By moving or shift- words denoting movement, change of state. It was believed, for example, that on this day the grain “moved” from the field to the threshing floor, since by mid-September the harvesting of bread usually ended and threshing began. They also said that the Exaltation move the zipun, pull the fur coat", or that on the Exaltation" caftan with a fur coat moved and the hat moved down».
The Feast of the Exaltation was Lenten. It was believed that " whoever fasts on Exaltation, seven sins will be forgiven". Most often, cabbage and dishes from it were eaten on this day. " On Vozdvizhenye, a good fellow has cabbage at the porch" or " Dare, woman, about cabbage - Exaltation has come", - said the people. Throughout Rus', the peasants believed that the day of the Exaltation was one of those on which no important and significant work should be started, since everything started on this day would either end in complete failure, or be unsuccessful and useless.
However, judging by some popular beliefs, the peasants did not know at all what the true meaning and meaning of church holiday Exaltation of the honest and life-giving cross of the Lord. The people firmly believed that on the day of the Exaltation, under no circumstances should one go to the forest, since evil spirits can beat, or simply send a peasant to the next world. According to the peasants, on the day of the Exaltation, all reptiles "shift", that is, crawl into one place, underground, to their mother, where they spend the whole winter, right up to the first spring thunder. On the Feast of the Exaltation, the peasants for the whole day carefully locked the gates, doors and gates, out of fear that reptiles would mistakenly crawl into their yard and hide there under manure, in straw and bunks. However, the peasants believed that from September 27, that is, from the Exaltation, snakes do not bite, since every reptile that stings a person at that time will be severely punished: all autumn, until the first snow and even through the snow, it will crawl in vain, not finding a place for herself until the frost kills her, or the man's pitchfork is pierced.
Temples in honor of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
For a long time in Rus', churches were built in honor of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. So, according to the testimony of the Suponevskaya chronicle, around 1283, a cathedral Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross in the city of Romanov-Borisoglebsk (now Tutaev) on the left bank of the river, " opposite Borisoglebskaya Sloboda". According to legend, the first builder of the Kremlin was the prince of Uglich, Roman Vladimirovich Saint(1261–1285). Detinets has suffered many attacks in its history. The last siege of the Romanov Kremlin took place during the events of the War of 1612. In battles and epidemics, one third of the townspeople died, but the spirit of the people remained alive. IN Soviet time the building of the temple housed a museum of local lore, later - a warehouse. In 1992 the cathedral was returned to the Russian Orthodox Church, and since 2000 it has been an active temple.
Holy Cross Cathedral, Tutaev (Romanov-Borisoglebsk) In 1640, at the beginning of a deep ravine on the left bank of the Moskva River, the Exaltation of the Cross Church was laid. It took 18 years to build a stone temple on the site of a wooden one. The main altar was consecrated in 1658. Over the course of two centuries, the temple was constantly rebuilt; it acquired its current appearance in 1894-1895. In 1918, the temple began to be looted. The authorities took out more than 400 pounds of silver utensils from here. In 1930, the temple was closed, the dome and the bell tower were broken, and a hostel was made in the temple premises. The wall painting was painted over, and when it began to show through the whitewash, it was knocked down. But 70% of the painting survived. By the end of 2000, after the return of the church of the Russian Orthodox Church and a long restoration, the building again took on its former architectural appearance.
Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross on Chisty Vrazhek. Moscow Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross in the city of Kolomna at the Pyatnitsky Gates of the Kolomna Kremlin arose in the 15th century. In 1764, on the site of a wooden building, a stone two-tier church with a bell tower was erected. In 1832–1837 the church was radically rebuilt at the expense of the sisters Sharapovs. In the 1980s the room was used as a workshop and warehouse of the Kolomna Museum of Local Lore. In 1994 the temple was returned to the Russian Orthodox Church.
Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. Kolomna Kremlin In the name of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, a monastery was consecrated in the town of Belev, Tula Region. The Holy Cross Monastery for Women was built in 1625. “According to a petition about 1625, submitted to Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich by a certain old woman Marfa Palitsina, she was allowed to build a maiden monastery on the settlement with a church in the name of the Honorable and Life-Giving Cross.” In the Belevskaya monastery from the very beginning there was only one church - a wooden one, in the name of the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord. This is evidenced by the inscriptions on the gospel and vessels that were donated to the monastery during the construction of the temple. There were also twelve wooden cells. At the very beginning of its existence, the monastery was very poor in funds and, despite the material support of the king, even needed candles, incense, and church wine. By 1680, 38 sisters and abbesses lived in the monastery, who received royal salaries. Having existed for one hundred and forty years after its foundation, the Holy Cross Convent was abolished in 1764. But the desolation of the monastery did not last long. In 1768, it was decided to renew the Exaltation of the Cross Convent. In the very early XIX century, in 1801, during a severe fire that raged in Belev, the buildings of the monastery were very badly damaged. In 1869, the monastery church was re-erected, already made of stone, and had 5 aisles. On the first floor: in the center - in honor of the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord, on the right - in honor of the icon of the Mother of God "Three Hands", on the left - in the name of St. Nicholas. On the second floor: on the left - in the name of Andrei, Christ for the sake of the holy fool, on the right - in honor of the Tikhvin Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos. At the beginning of the 20th century, the monastery was abolished and for a long time was in disrepair. In the 1980s In the 20th century, restoration work began, but quickly ended.
Holy Cross Belevsky Monastery In the name of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, the temple of the Vvedensky Tolgsky Monastery in the village was consecrated. Tolga, Yaroslavl region. At present, the warm church in honor of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross is the earliest surviving stone building of the monastery. In 1838, the church underwent alterations: windows were scattered, vaults were raised, internal pillars were removed, and the upper sections of the temple were decorated with wall writing. In 1892, the Vozdvizhenskaya Church was painted entirely with oil paints.
Temple in the name of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross of the Vvedensky Tolga Monastery in the village. Tolga, Yaroslavl region In the name of the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord, a temple was consecrated in the village. Kurgomen, Vinogradovsky district, Arkhangelsk region. The church was built in 1623. The Vozdvizhenskaya Church is interesting as one of the earliest wooden tented churches of the “octagon on a quadrangle” type with two piers (from the west and east) and a refectory. The church had a beautifully proportioned porch. A detached nine-pillar bell tower was built in 1605 and was one of the oldest buildings of this kind. Holy Cross Church burned in 1919.
Temple in the name of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross in the village. Kurgomen, Vinogradovsky district, Arkhangelsk region. 1623 In the name of the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord, a temple was consecrated in the town of Starokonstantinov, Khmelnitsky region of Ukraine. The building dates from around 1570 and around 1570. Nearby stands a huge watchtower (XVI-XVII centuries). It adjoins the ruins of the Exaltation of the Cross Church and the male Orthodox monastery of the same name. Once the tower was part of the city fortifications. In 1852, a warm church was built in its first tier. And in Soviet times, local policemen used this first tier as a shooting range.
The ruins of the temple in the name of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross and the tower in the city of Starokonstantinov, Khmelnytsky region, Ukraine In the name of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, a temple was consecrated in the city of Drohobych, Lviv region of Ukraine. The church was built in 1613 and is considered a model of wooden architecture of the Ukrainian Renaissance. The temple was built at the expense of the owners of the Drohobych salt industry and is located not far from the buildings of the old salt plant. During its history, the church has experienced several fires, many rebuildings and reconstructions. At first it was a three-frame one-top, and later it was rebuilt into a two-top church and was used for defensive purposes. A wooden bell tower was erected next to this temple in 1661, thus the church, together with the bell tower, forms a harmonious architectural ensemble.
Church in the name of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross in the city of Drohobych, Lviv region of Ukraine In the name of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, a temple was consecrated in the city of Lutsk, Volyn region of Ukraine. The temple was erected in 1619-1622 and had a pronounced defensive character. This is one of the early examples of the transformation of wooden architecture into stone architecture, in particular, the traditional type of wooden three-frame three-domed temple. The three-part axial composition of the temple was emphasized by three domes. The vestibule looked like a defense tower with a staircase leading to the vault. In 1803 the church was destroyed by fire. In 1888, a chapel was built on the site of the temple, and by 1890 the church was completely rebuilt, including the surviving ancient apse with a preserved 17th-century reinforcing frieze with keeled niches.
Temple in the name of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross in the city of Lutsk, Volyn region of Ukraine In the name of the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord, a temple was consecrated in the city of Ternopil, Ternopil region of Ukraine. The temple was erected in 1570 or 1627. The first official mention of the Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross was found in the charter of Prince Konstantin Ostrozhsky dated 1570. Initially, the church did not have a high tower; on a stone slab installed above the entrance, the exact date of completion of the construction of this three-tier belfry was carved - July 28, 1627. At the beginning of the 18th century, during the oppression of Orthodoxy in the territory of the Commonwealth, the Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross was closed and for quite a long time was used as a warehouse. And only in 1760 the revival of the church began. Later, a brick bell tower with a low decorative spire was built in the churchyard. In 1831, during a huge fire in the city, the roof of the temple was completely burned down, but it was quickly restored. In the first half of the 20th century, during the wars, the church was significantly destroyed and only in 1954-1959. overhauled.
Temple in the name of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross in the city of Ternopil, Ternopil region of Ukraine Holy Cross Monastery in Moscow
Holy Cross Monastery it was first mentioned in chronicles in 1547. It was located in Moscow, in the White City, on Vozdvizhenka Street (the street between Mokhovaya and Arbat Gate Square). original name - Monastery of the Exaltation of the Holy Life-Giving Cross of the Lord, on the Island.
Orthodox church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross in the Vozdvizhensky Monastery. 1882 During the invasion of Napoleon, the monastery was plundered by the invaders. In 1814, it was abolished, and the cathedral church was turned into a parish church. The Holy Cross Church was closed after 1929, and in 1934 it was demolished. The Metrostroy mine was built on the site of the church.
Old Believer churches in honor of the Feast of the Exaltation Odessa region (Ukraine). Sverdlovsk region.
Chapel of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. Nevyansk
Also today is the patronal feast for the Moscow Transfiguration community (Fedoseevsky consent). Like the Rogozhskaya community, the Preobrazhenskaya community arose in 1771 in connection with the plague epidemic, when a cemetery was founded behind the Kamer-Kollezhsky Val and Catherine II received permission to build churches. Here the merchant played a special role. Ilya Kovylin who organized the almshouse and sponsored large-scale construction. And since Kovylin was a Fedoseyevite, the Preobrazhensky community became the center of this denomination.
Exaltation of the Cross Church of the Fedoseev Accord at the Preobrazhenskoye Cemetery At the beginning of the 19th century, the community was divided into two parts - the men's and women's courtyards. Each half was separated by a jagged stone wall with hipped towers. In fact, two monasteries appeared here. In 1811, a church was built in the women's courtyard in the name of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, in which the Fedoseyevites still pray. This temple does not have an altar apse, since the Liturgy is not currently served by the Old Believers of non-priestly consents.
On September 27, Orthodox Christians celebrate the Exaltation of the Holy Cross - one of the 12 main, or twelfth holidays of the Orthodox Church.
Exaltation of the Holy Cross: history
On the day of the Exaltation of the Cross, they remember how Equal-to-the-Apostles Empress Elena found the Cross on which the Lord Jesus Christ was crucified. The cross was found in 326 near Mount Calvary in Jerusalem. Since the 7th century, the memory of the return of the Life-Giving Cross from Persia by the Byzantine emperor Heraclius (629) began to be connected with this day.
The holiday is called the Exaltation of the Cross, because both at the acquisition and at the return of the Cross, the primate raised (raised) the cross three times so that everyone could see it.
Equal-to-the-Apostles King Constantine wished to build temples of God on places sacred to Christians in Palestine (i.e., on the site of the birth, suffering and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, etc.) and to find the Cross on which the Savior was crucified. With great joy, his mother, St. Equal-to-the-Apostles Empress Elena.
In 326, Queen Helen went to Jerusalem for this purpose. She put a lot of work to find the Cross of Christ, since the enemies of Christ hid the Cross, burying it in the ground. Finally, she was pointed to an elderly Jew named Judas, who knew where the Cross of the Lord was. After much questioning and persuasion, he was forced to speak. It turned out that the Holy Cross was thrown into one cave and littered with garbage and earth, and a pagan temple was built on top. Queen Elena ordered to destroy this building and dig out a cave.
When they dug up the cave, they found in it three crosses and a tablet lying separately from them with the inscription: "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews." It was necessary to find out which of the three crosses is the Cross of the Savior. The Jerusalem Patriarch (Bishop) Macarius and Empress Elena firmly believed and hoped that God would show the Holy Cross of the Savior.
On the advice of the bishop, they began to offer crosses one by one to one seriously ill woman. No miracle happened from two crosses, but when the third cross was laid, she immediately became healthy. It happened that at that time the deceased was being carried past for burial. Then they began to lay crosses one after the other and on the deceased; and when the third cross was laid, the dead man revived. Thus they learned the cross of the Lord, through which the Lord performed miracles and showed life-giving the power of His Cross.
Empress Elena, Patriarch Macarius and the people around them with joy and reverence bowed to the Cross of Christ and kissed it. Christians, having learned about this great event, gathered in countless numbers to the place where the Cross of the Lord was found (found). Everyone wanted to venerate the holy life-giving Cross. But since it was impossible to do this because of the multitude of people, everyone began to ask at least to show him. Then Patriarch Macarius stood on an elevated place and, so that everyone could see, several times erected(picked up) him. The people, seeing the Cross of the Savior, bowed and exclaimed: “Lord, have mercy!”
The Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Kings Constantine and Helena, over the place of suffering, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, built a vast and magnificent temple in honor of Resurrection of Christ. They also built temples on the Mount of Olives, in Bethlehem and in Fevron near the Oak of Mamri.
Queen Elena brought part of the Cross of the Lord to her son, Tsar Constantine, and left the other part in Jerusalem. This precious remnant of the Cross of Christ is still kept in the Church of the Resurrection of Christ.
Icons of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
The most common plot of the icon of the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord took shape in Russian icon painting in the 15th-16th centuries. The icon painter depicts a large crowd of people against the backdrop of a single-domed temple. In the center on the pulpit stands the Patriarch with the Cross raised above his head. The deacons support him by the arms. The cross is decorated with twigs of plants. In the foreground are the saints and everyone who came to venerate the shrine. On the right are the figures of Tsar Constantine and Empress Helena.
Prayers
Troparion, tone 1
Kontakion, tone 4
magnificence
We magnify Thee, Life-Giver Christ, and honor Your Holy Cross, by which Thou hast saved us from the work of the enemy.
Choruses
Irmos of the 9th song
Hymns to the Cross of the Lord
Choir of the Orthodox Brotherhood in the name of the Archangel Michael.
Save, O Lord, Thy people, and bless Thy heritage, granting victory to the Orthodox Christian against the opposing ones, and keeping Thy habitation by Thy Cross.
Participated in the Exaltation of the Cross and on the Sunday of the Cross
Ascended to the cross by will, to your namesake new residence, grant Your bounty, Christ God; rejoice in Your strength, giving us victories for comparisons, the provision of Your possessions, the weapon of the world, an invincible victory.
Choir of the Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra and MDA
Rejoice Life-Giving Cross .
Rejoice, life-giving Cross, invincible victory of piety, the door of paradise, the faithful affirmation, the fencing of the Church, even the aphids will be ruined and abolished, and the mortal power will be trampled down, and we will ascend from earth to heaven, an invincible weapon, resisting demons: the glory of the martyrs, the saints, as truly fertilizer: a haven salvation, grant the world great mercy.
Prayers to the Holy and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord
Prayer one
O Honest Cross, guardian of soul and body, wake up: casting down demons in your own way, driving away enemies, exercising passions and giving us reverence, both life and strength, with the assistance of the Holy Spirit and honest prayers of the Most Pure Theotokos. Amen.
Prayer two
O Blessed One and Life-Giving Cross Lord! Of old, you were a shameful instrument of execution, now the sign of our salvation is forever revered and glorified! How worthily I can, unworthy, sing to Thee, and how dare I bow the knee of my heart before my Redeemer, confessing my sins! But the mercy and inexpressible philanthropy of the humble Boldness, Spread on you, gives me, let me open my mouth to glorify Thee; for this sake I cry to Ty: rejoice, Cross, the Church of Christ's beauty and foundation, the whole universe - affirmation, Christians of all - hope, kings - power, faithful - refuge, Angels - glory and chanting, demons - fear, destruction and driving away, wicked and unfaithful - shame, the righteous - delight, the burdened - weak, overwhelmed - a haven, the lost - a mentor, obsessed with passions - repentance, the poor - enrichment, floating - helmsmen, the weak - strength, in battles - victory and overcoming, orphans - true protection, widows - intercessor, virgins - protection of chastity, hopeless - hope, sick - doctor and the dead - resurrection! You, foreshadowed by the miraculous rod of Moses, a life-giving source, soldering those who are thirsty for spiritual life and delighting our sorrows; You are a bed, on which the Resurrected Conqueror of Hell rested royally for three days. For this sake, morning, and evening, and noon, I glorify Thee, the blessed Tree, and I pray by the will of Him who has blossomed on Thee, may He enlighten and strengthen my mind with Thee, may He open in my heart a source of perfect love and all my deeds and my paths will overshadow Thee May I magnify Him who is nailed to Thee, for the sake of my sin, the Lord my Savior. Amen.
Liturgy of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
On the day of the Exaltation of the Cross, it is necessary to celebrate the All-Night Vigil and the Liturgy. But now they rarely serve all night, so the festive Divine service on the eve of the holiday - the vigil - becomes central.
The Exaltation is the Lord's (dedicated to the Lord Jesus Christ) twelfth feast. Therefore, its service does not connect to any other service. For example, the memory of John Chrysostom is transferred to another day.
Interestingly, during Matins on the Exaltation of the Cross, the Gospel is read not in the middle of the temple, but in the altar.
The climax of the feast is when the preeminent priest or bishop, dressed in purple vestments, carries out the Cross. All those praying in the temple kiss the shrine, and the primate anoints them with holy oil. During the general veneration of the Cross, the troparion is sung: “We worship Your Cross, Master, and we glorify Your holy Resurrection.”
The cross lies on the lectern until October 4 - the day the Exaltation is given. On surrender, the priest takes the cross to the altar.
Order of the Exaltation of the Cross
The rite of the Exaltation of the Cross is performed at matins after the great doxology and singing of the troparion Save, O Lord, Thy people..., consists of a five-fold overshadowing of the Cross and its elevation to the cardinal points (to the east, south, west, north and again to the east). An important change, in comparison with the Studium monuments, is the addition to the rite of five deacon's petitions (corresponding to five autumns of the Cross), after each of which a hundred times Lord have mercy. In addition, according to the Jerusalem Rule, before raising the Cross, the primate must bow to the ground so that his head is a span away from the ground (Greek. spithame, about 20 cm). During the correction of liturgical books in the Russian Church in the 2nd half. 17th century the order of the fall of the cardinal points during the rank was changed: the Cross is erected to the east, west, south, north and again to the east. This order has been maintained to this day.