Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord: Do's and Don'ts, Customs and Prayers. Exaltation of the Holy and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord What does exaltation mean?
The great church holiday of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross is celebrated on September 27 (September 14, old style) of each year.
The holiday is dedicated to the Cross of Jesus Christ, on which he was crucified. Rising means "lifting up". This holiday symbolizes the lifting of the Cross from the earth after it was discovered there.
Other holiday names
Exaltation, Exaltation Day, Stavrov's Day, Third Autumn, Battle of Truth and Falsehood, Kapustnitsy, Autumn Serpentine.
About the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord
About three hundred years after the crucifixion of Christ, there were terrible persecutions against the Orthodox Church. Roman rulers, starting from Nero (ruled the empire in 54-68) and up to Diocletian (reign in 303-313), destroyed Christians in various ways, they were thrown to be torn to pieces by beasts, killed, crucified, rotted in dungeons, burned at the stake . Roman pagan kings sought to erase from human memory everything connected with the coming of the Son of God Jesus Christ to our land.
The Appearance of the Cross to ConstantineBut at the beginning of the fourth century, by the providence of God, Emperor Constantine came to power, who, before the decisive battle for power, had a heavenly sign in the form of a cross. And at night, Jesus Christ Himself appeared to him and said that in order to win, he must replace the Roman symbols on the banners with crosses. Constantine fulfilled the command of the Lord and received a long-awaited victory, after which he and his mother, Queen Elena, believed in the True God Jesus Christ.
The persecution of Christians by royal decree was stopped and the restoration of Christian churches and shrines began.
In 326, Queen Helen went to Jerusalem. Arriving at the holy place, she saw that a pagan temple in honor of Venus was built on the site of Golgotha, and a temple in the name of Jupiter was erected on the site of the Holy Sepulcher. He ordered the destruction of pagan sanctuaries and the erection of Christian churches in their place.
But it was still necessary to find the Cross on which the Lord Jesus Christ was crucified. Elena searched for the Holy Cross for a long time and in vain, hundreds of Christians and Jews were interviewed, no one could give at least some information. Quite by accident, she learned that an old Jew named Judas could tell where to find the shrine. He was persuaded for a long time to tell where this place was, finally he showed a cave filled with stones, where the Cross of the Savior and two crosses could be located, on which the robbers were crucified that day.
Cross of the Lord With prayers, they began to dig a cave and found three crosses in it, and next to them they found a tablet on which was written in three languages "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews."
In order to understand which of the crosses was the Cross of the Savior, they brought a seriously ill woman, on whom all the crosses were placed in turn. After she touched the real Life-Giving Cross, the patient was healed.
In order to make sure that this is exactly the same Cross that they were looking for, it was attached to the deceased, who was carried to be buried. After the Cross touched the deceased, he resurrected and everyone was completely convinced that such a miracle could only come from the Life-Giving Cross.
With great joy, Empress Elena and all the people who were with her bowed to the shrine and venerated it. The news of the holy discovery almost instantly spread throughout the district, and Jews began to gather at the place where the Cross was found. There were so many people that many could not only bow to the Cross, but even see Him. To show the find, Patriarch Macarius stood on a high place and raised (raised) the Life-Giving Cross, everyone finally saw Him and, falling on their knees, prayed "Lord have mercy."
Later, by order of the Equal-to-the-Apostles Emperor Constantine, in Jerusalem, on the site of the Resurrection of Christ, the construction of a monument to this event began, which was built for ten whole years.
Saint Helena died in 327, she did not live to see the completion of construction for eight years. The temple in honor of the Resurrection of Christ was consecrated on September 13 (according to the new style), 335.
And the next day, September 14, was set as a holiday - the Exaltation of the Holy and Life-Giving Cross.
By the care of the holy Empress Helena, more than eighty churches were founded, including at the birthplace of Jesus Christ - in Bethlehem, at the place of the Ascension of the Lord - on the Mount of Olives, in Gethsemane, where the Savior prayed before His Holy Death and where the Mother of God was buried after Dormition.
For all the labors that Constantine and Elena put into spreading the Christian faith, the Holy Church canonized them as Equal-to-the-Apostles.
Heraclius brings in the Cross of the Lord On this festive day, Christians remember another event - the return of the Cross of the Lord to Jerusalem from fourteen years of Persian captivity.
Chosroes II, the king of Persia, attacked Jerusalem, seized the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord and captured Patriarch Zechariah (609-633).
For 14 years, the Holy Cross was in Persia until the time when, with God's help, Emperor Heraclius won the battle against Khozroy. Peace was concluded and the shrine finally returned to the Christians.
With great solemnity, the emperor Heraclius, in the royal crown and purple, carried the returned Cross to its rightful place in the Church of the Resurrection of Christ, Patriarch Zacharias walked beside him. But near the gate that led to Golgotha, the procession suddenly stopped, Heraclius could not go further. The Holy Patriarch suggested to the astonished emperor that the Angel of the Lord Himself blocked the path, because the One Who had to bear the Cross in order to atone for human sins, passed this path in humility and in a humiliated form.
Then the emperor took off his royal robes and put on simple poor clothes. Only after that he was able to bring the Life-Giving Cross into the temple.
On the day of the Exaltation of the Honest Christ, a strict fast is observed!
magnificence
We magnify Thee, Life-Giver Christ, and honor Your Holy Cross, by which Thou hast saved us from the work of the enemy.
How and what to pray to the Holy and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord
They pray to the Holy Cross on different occasions, in joy, in trouble, in happiness or in sorrow. The prayer "Let God rise again ..." included in the evening rule is the most powerful prayer that every Christian needs to know. She will protect you from all evil and misfortune. The Holy Fathers recommend reading the prayer to the Holy Cross before each exit from the house.
Let God arise, and let His enemies be scattered, and let all who hate Him flee from His presence. As the smoke disappears, let them disappear; as wax melts from the face of fire, so let the demons perish from the face of those who love God and are marked by the sign of the cross, and say in joy: Rejoice, Most Honorable and Life-giving Cross of the Lord, drive away the demons with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, crucified on you, who descended into hell and corrected his strength the devil, and who gave us His Honorable Cross to drive away every adversary. O Most Honorable and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord! Help me with the Holy Lady Virgin Mother of God and with all the saints forever. Amen.
Traditions and rituals on Vozdvizhenye
- September 27 - worship of the Cross, religious processions, Exaltation evenings, reading a conspiracy for love, on this day they do not start new business.
Believers of the Orthodox Church worship the Cross.
On this day, people do not start any business, as there will be no positive result.
Traditionally, detours or religious processions are made with icons and prayers.
On this day, Vozdvizhensky evenings begin, which last for two weeks. Unmarried girls gather and read a certain spell seven times. According to legend, after such a ceremony, the one who is dear to her heart will fall in love with the girl.
Whoever observes the fast during the Exaltation will receive forgiveness of 7 sins, and those who do not observe it will receive 7 sins.
On this holiday, crosses are drawn in houses with chalk, soot, coal, garlic, animal blood. Small crosses made of wood are placed in the bins and mangers of animals. In the absence of crosses, they are made from rowan branches. They protect people, animals and crops from evil spirits.
Signs and sayings on the Exaltation
- The rise of autumn moves towards winter.
- At sunrise, the moon outlines a reddish, quickly disappearing circle - the weather will be clear and dry.
- The north wind on this day prophesies a warm summer next year.
- Geese fly high - the flood will be high, low - the river will practically not rise.
- If the cranes fly slowly and high, cooing in flight, then the autumn will be warm.
- If the west wind blows for several days in a row, then the weather will be bad in the coming days.
- On September 27, birds begin to fly south. And there is at the same time a very good sign, which reads as follows: if you see the departure of birds for a holiday, you must definitely make a cherished wish, which will come true in any case.
- It is also very important to say that earlier on the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, absolutely every housewife cleaned the house. It was believed that in this way, it is possible to expel all kinds of evil spirits and damage from the house.
- The following ritual for the Exaltation of the Holy Cross will also help drive out negative energy and negativity from the house: for this, you need to take three church candles directly, and install them on one saucer. Next, you need to spray absolutely every corner of your home with a cruciform movement. At that moment, it is imperative to say absolutely any prayer that you know by heart. But the best option would be the prayer "Our Father" or the ninetieth psalm.
- It is very important to remember that it is categorically not worth starting any new business on the holiday, because, unfortunately, it is according to the sign that this business will end in failure.
- It is from the holiday of September 27 that incredibly cheerful youth holidays begin, which in turn have a name - skits. In ancient times, young beauties dressed up in festive dresses and went directly from house to house to chop cabbage. This action was carried out with extremely cheerful songs and was accompanied directly by delicious treats.
- Previously, they always knew that if you go to the forest on the Exaltation holiday, then there is a high probability that you will not be able to return at all. It was assumed that on September 27, the goblin collects each animal in the forest in order to unambiguously count each of them and thereby know how many living creatures live in his forest. And this action categorically no one should observe. And whoever disobeys and still goes to the forest for the Feast of the Exaltation, thereby showing disrespect to the goblin, may not return home that day.
On September 27, 2020, the Orthodox Church celebrates the twelfth holiday - the Exaltation of the Holy and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord. It was installed in memory of the discovery of this relic near Golgotha, where Jesus Christ was crucified.
The mother of Emperor Constantine the Great, Queen Helena, who went to Palestine in 326, managed to find the Holy Sepulcher, the Cross, a tablet made by order of Pilate with the inscription “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews” and four nails that pierced the Body of the Lord.
Since the 7th century, the memory of the return of the Life-Giving Cross from Persia by the Byzantine emperor Heraclius was also associated with this day. According to legend, both upon finding and upon returning the Cross, the priest raised it three times so that the flock could see it, which is why the holiday got its name.
Traditions of the celebration of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
For several centuries, its traditions have developed, as well as many beliefs and signs on the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord. Next, we will tell you what you can and cannot do on the day of this church holiday.
The holiday has one day of prefeast (September 26) and seven afterfeasts (from October 28 to 4). In addition, the Exaltation is preceded by Saturday and the Week (Sunday), called Saturday and the Week before the Exaltation.
On this day, believers visit temples where solemn services are held. The climax of the holiday is the removal of the Cross by the leading priest or bishop in purple vestments. The flock kisses the shrine, and the primate anoints them with holy oil.
Parishioners offer prayers before the icon of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. She helps to gain strength of mind, they turn to her about the granting of God's grace in various trials, about healing from diseases. In the old days, they said that if you pray with faith on the Exaltation Day, then the Life-Giving Cross will raise you from your deathbed.
It is also customary to erect crosses on temples under construction on the Exaltation, to sanctify small churches and chapels.
What can and what cannot be done on the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord?
Believers remember not only the greatness and triumph of the Lord's victory over death, but also His suffering on the Cross. And although this day is a holiday, it is customary to observe a strict fast.
According to the church charter, meat and dairy products, eggs, and fish cannot be included in the diet. It is believed that those who fast will be forgiven seven sins, and those who do not fast will be forgiven seven sins.
As on other church holidays, it is forbidden to engage in hard work, for example, to make repairs, as well as to perform various housework (sewing, knitting, embroidering, etc.).
You can’t quarrel and swear with anyone, especially with loved ones, since negative energy will definitely return to you three times.
A number of signs for Exaltation are associated with this attribute. As the people believed, at that time there was a struggle between honor and wickedness, truth and falsehood, which were “erected” on top of each other. Thanks to the Lord's Cross rising from the bowels of the earth, the forces of good prevailed.
What was customary to do at the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord?
To protect themselves from the action of evil forces, people painted crosses on the doors of their houses, lintels or mats (thick beams located across the buildings).
In the old days, crosses were drawn with garlic, charcoal, chalk, sometimes with the blood of animals that were sacrificed, or simply cut out with a knife. And in order to protect cattle from evil spirits, small wooden crosses were placed in the manger.
Apparently, since pagan times, "barn name days" have been celebrated - that is, the name day of the spirit living in the barn. A barn was a building for drying sheaves before threshing. The ovinnik was not disturbed, trying not to carry out work here, and they left refreshments for him.
Some other beliefs and signs on the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord are also rooted in paganism.
What according to the signs was forbidden to do on the Exaltation?
One of the prohibitions concerned visiting the forest. It was believed that the risk of being bitten by snakes increases, since on this day they crawl from all sides to go into the ground until spring. To prevent snakes from crawling into houses, people tightly closed the gates.
They also tried not to go into the forest, so as not to meet the goblin, who arranged an inspection of his possessions and counted the animals. It was believed that a person who accidentally caught his eye could also be counted, after which he would never be able to leave the forest and return home. The goblin could knock a person off the road or scare him so much that he lost his mind.
This holiday was also popularly called "cabbage". Numerous proverbs and sayings testify to this:
- "Exaltation - cabbage, it's time to chop the cabbage!",
- "Take it easy, woman, about cabbage - Exaltation has come",
- “Then chop cabbage, which is from the Exaltation”,
- "On the Vozdvizhenie, the first lady is cabbage",
- “On the Exaltation, a good fellow has cabbage at the porch” and others.
It is not surprising that many beliefs and signs of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross are associated with this custom.
The girls went to visit each other to chop cabbage, sang songs and had funny conversations - such parties were called "kapustnikov". To look attractive in the eyes of the guys they liked, on the eve of the evening, the girls read certain conspiracies.
After harvesting cabbage, festivities were organized, which often led to weddings on Pokrova.
What beliefs and signs of the Exaltation have survived to this day?
What can not be done at the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord? According to the unspoken rules, you should not start new business, since everything started on this day will end in complete failure or will be useless.
In addition, there are many weather signs that are associated with the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. It is believed that autumn at this time passes its rights to winter. No wonder the Exaltation was also called the Movement or the Shift, meaning movement, a change in state.
If the north wind blows on this day, then the next year's summer will be warm; the western wind portends bad weather in the summer months.
At this time, the birds fly south. If the cranes fly slowly, high enough and cooing, then the autumn will be warm. Seeing the birds, people tried to make a wish, which, as they believed, would certainly come true.
Exaltation of the Holy and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord
A holiday that the Orthodox Church celebrates on September 27th. On this day, believers remember how in 326 in Jerusalem the Cross was miraculously found, on which Jesus Christ was crucified. We will talk about the events, meaning and traditions of the Exaltation of the Cross.
What is the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
The full name of the holiday is the Exaltation of the Holy and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord. Orthodox Christians remember two events on this day.
As Holy Tradition says, the Cross was found in 326 in Jerusalem. It happened near Mount Calvary, where the Savior was crucified.
And the second event is the return of the Life-Giving Cross from Persia, where he was in captivity. In the 7th century it was returned to Jerusalem by the Greek emperor Heraclius.
Both events were united by the fact that the Cross was erected before the people, that is, raised. At the same time, they turned him to all parts of the world in turn, so that people could bow to him and share with each other the joy of finding a shrine.
The Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord is the twelfth feast. The Twelfth Feasts are dogmatically closely connected with the events of the earthly life of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Mother of God, and are divided into the Lord's (dedicated to the Lord Jesus Christ) and the Theotokos (dedicated to the Mother of God). The Exaltation of the Cross is the Feast of the Lord.
When is the Exaltation of the Holy Cross celebrated?
The Russian Orthodox Church commemorates the Exaltation of the Holy Cross on September 27 according to the new style (September 14 according to the old style).
This feast has one day of pre-feast and seven days of after-feast. Prefeast - one or several days before a big holiday, the divine services of which already include prayers dedicated to the upcoming celebrated event. Accordingly, the afterfeast is the same days after the holiday.
Holiday giving away - October 4th. The celebration of the holiday is the last day of some important Orthodox holidays, celebrated with a special service, more solemn than on ordinary days of the afterfeast.
What can you eat on the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
On this day, the Orthodox have a strict fast. Do not eat meat, fish, eggs and dairy products. Food can only be seasoned with vegetable oil.
Events of the Exaltation of the Cross
Description of the events of the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord, which took place in the IV century, we find in some Christian historians, for example, Eusebius and Theodoret.
In 326, Emperor Constantine the Great decided to find the lost shrine, the Cross of the Lord, at all costs. Together with his mother, Queen Elena, he went on a campaign to the Holy Land.
It was decided to carry out excavations near Golgotha, since the Jews had a custom to bury the instruments of execution near the place of its commission. And, indeed, three crosses, nails and a board were found in the ground that were nailed over the head of the crucified Savior. As the Tradition says, a sick person touched one of the crosses and was healed. So Emperor Constantine and Empress Helen learned which of the crosses was the one. They bowed to the shrine, and then the Patriarch of Jerusalem Macarius began to show it to the people. To do this, he stood on a dais and raised (“raised”) the Cross. People worshiped the Cross and prayed: “Lord, have mercy!”.
In the 7th century, with the memory of finding the Cross of the Lord, another memory was connected - about the return of the Tree of the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord from Persian captivity.
In 614, the Persian king conquered Jerusalem and sacked it. Among other treasures, he took to Persia the Tree of the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord. The shrine stayed with foreigners for fourteen years. Only in 628 did Emperor Heraclius defeat the Persians, make peace with them, and return the Cross to Jerusalem.
How the further fate of the shrine developed, historians do not know for sure. Someone says that the Cross was in Jerusalem until 1245. Someone that cut it apart and took it all over the world.
Now a part of the Cross of the Lord rests in an ark in the altar of the Greek Church of the Resurrection in Jerusalem.
History of the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
As Tradition says, the Cross of the Lord was found before the feast of Easter, the Holy Resurrection of Christ. Therefore, at first the Exaltation of the Cross was celebrated on the second day of Easter.
In 335, the Church of the Resurrection of Christ was consecrated in Jerusalem. It happened on September 13th. In honor of this, the Feast of the Exaltation was postponed to September 14 (according to the old style; according to the new style - September 27). The bishops who came to the consecration from all over the Roman Empire told the whole Christian world about the new holiday.
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 bow to Thy Cross, Master, and glorify Thy 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.
Prayers of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
Troparion of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
Save, O Lord, Thy people and bless Thy heritage, granting victory to the Orthodox Christian against the opposition and Thy keeping Thy Cross living.
Translation:
Save, O Lord, Thy people and bless Thy heritage, granting victory to the faithful over enemies and preserving Thy people by Thy Cross.
Kontakion of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
Ascended to the Cross by your will, to your namesake Your new residence, grant Your bounty, Christ God, rejoice with Your strength Your faithful people, giving us victories for comparisons, allowance for those who have Your weapons of the world, an invincible victory.
Translation:
Ascended to the Cross voluntarily, to the new people named by You, grant Your mercy, Christ God; rejoice in Your strength to Your faithful people, giving us victory over the enemies, to help those who have from You, the weapons of the world, an invincible victory.
Magnification of the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord
We magnify Thee, Life-Giver Christ, and honor Your Holy Cross, by which Thou hast saved us from the work of the enemy.
Prayers to the Holy and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord
Prayer one
Honest Cross, guardian of soul and body, wake up: cast 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 Most Honorable and Life-Giving Cross of the 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 reason 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, and in the morning, and in the evening, and at noon, I glorify Thee, the blessed Tree, and I pray, by the will of the One 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.
Icon 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.
Metropolitan Anthony of Surozh. Sermon on the day of the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord
In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Today we worship with trembling and gratitude the cross of the Lord. As two thousand years ago, the Cross of the Lord remains a temptation for some, madness for others, but for us, believers and saved by the Cross of the Lord, it is strength, it is the glory of the Lord.
Trembling is the Cross of the Lord: it is an instrument of cruel, painful death. The very horror that seizes us when we look at her instrument should teach us the measure of the Lord's love. The Lord so loved the world that He gave His Only Begotten Son in order to save the world. And this world, after the incarnation of the Word of God, after the life of Christ on earth, after He proclaimed the Divine teaching in the hearing of all peoples, and after He confirmed the preaching of love, proved it by a death without malice, a death to which no one moment of resistance, revenge, bitterness - after all this, our world is no longer the same. His fate does not pass tragically, frighteningly and painfully before God's judgment, because God Himself entered into this fate of the world, because this present fate of ours has bound God and man together.
And the Cross tells us how dear a person is to God and how expensive this love is. Love can only be answered with love; nothing else can pay for love.
And now we have a question, a question of conscience for now, which in due time will become a question that the Lord will put to us at the Last Judgment, when He will stand before us not only in His glory, but will stand before us wounded for our sins. For the Judge who will stand before us is the same Lord who gave His life for each of us. What will we answer? Do we really have to answer the Lord that His death was in vain, that His Cross is not needed, that when we saw how much the Lord loves us, we did not have enough love in return, and we answered Him that we prefer to walk in darkness, that we prefer guided by our passions, our lusts, that the broad road of the world is dearer to us than the narrow path of the Lord?.. While we live on earth, we can deceive ourselves that there is still time. But this is not true - time is terribly short. Our life can be cut short in an instant, and then our standing before the judgment of the Lord will begin, then it will be too late. And now there is time: there is time only if we turn every moment of our life into love; only then, if we turn every moment of life into love for God and love for every person, whether we like him or not, whether he is close to us or not, only then will our soul have time to ripen for the meeting of the Lord.
Let's look at the Cross. If a person close to us were to die for us and because of us, would not our soul be shaken to the very depths? Wouldn't we change? And so: the Lord is dead – shall we really remain indifferent? Let's bow to the Cross, but let's bow not only for a moment: let's bow, bow down under this Cross, take, to the best of our ability, this Cross on our shoulders, and follow Christ, Who gave us an example, as He Himself says, so that we follow Him . And then we will unite with Him in love, then we will come to life with the terrible Cross of the Lord, and then He will not stand before us, condemning us, but saving us and leading us into the endless, triumphant, victorious joy of eternal life. Amen.
Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross in Altufievo
Temple address: Moscow, Altufevskoe shosse, 147.
The old church was built at the expense of I.I. Velyaminov in 1760-1763, because the previously existing stone church in the name of Sophia and her daughters Faith, Nadezhda and Lyubov, which previously existed on this site, “has become completely dilapidated, and from this dilapidation everything has shrunk…”. The new temple was with a bell tower. It was rebuilt at the end of the 18th century.
The temple was closed only for a short time during the Great Patriotic War. Shrines - especially revered icons: a list from the Kazan icon of the Mother of God and the Monk Macarius Zheltovodsky (wonderfully appeared at the well of the preserved spring on the border of the villages of Altufiev, Bibireva and Medvedkov).
Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross on Chisty Vrazhek
Temple address: Moscow. 1st Truzhenikov lane, house 8, building 3.
The temple was founded in 1640 at the beginning of a deep ravine on the left bank of the Moskva River.
It took 18 years to build a stone temple on the site of a wooden one. The main altar was consecrated in 1658.
In 1701, the stone temple was rebuilt for the first time. The composition of the church continued the traditions of township construction of the 17th century. In the volume of the building, parts of the walls of the previous brick church, built in 1658, may have been preserved, when the territory between Plyushchikha Street and the river was occupied by settlements that belonged to the Rostov bishop's house.
For two centuries, the temple was constantly rebuilt, it acquired its current appearance in 1894-1895. Most of the parishioners of the temple on the outskirts of the city at that time were courtyards, artisans, and soldiers. However, representatives of the famous noble families Musin-Pushkin, Sheremetev, Dolgoruky also belonged to the parish. On May 25, 1901, A.P. Chekhov got married here.
In 1918, the temple began to be looted. The authorities took out more than 400 pounds of silver utensils from here.
In the 1920s, Saint Tikhon, Patriarch of Moscow, celebrated Divine Liturgy more than once in the church. He also served here, who was shot in December 1937 at the Butovo training ground.
In 1930, the temple was closed, the rector, Archpriest Nikolai Saryevsky, was exiled. The dome and the bell tower were broken, the almshouse and the clergy house were demolished, 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 and a long restoration, the building again took on its former architectural appearance.
Vozdvizhenka - a street in Moscow
Vozdvizhenka is a street between Mokhovaya Square and Arbat Gate Square. At the end of the 13th - beginning of the 14th centuries, the road to Volokolamsk and Novgorod went along it. In the middle of the XIV century, Vozdvizhenka was part of the trade road to Smolensk. In the 15th - first half of the 17th centuries, the street was called Orbata (probably from the Arabic "rabad" - suburb).
In 1493, the beginning of the street near the Kremlin wall was cleared by 110 sazhens, in the 16th century, the Church of St. Nicholas in Sapozhka (demolished in 1838) and small private courtyards already stood in the vacated place. In 1547, the Exaltation of the Cross Monastery was first mentioned. It was he who gave the new name to the street. In 1812, the monastery was ravaged by the Napoleonic army. In 1814 the monastery was abolished, and its cathedral church was turned into a parish church.
In 1935, Vozdvizhenka was renamed Komintern Street, in 1946 - Kalinina Street. In 1963-90, it became part of Kalinin Avenue. Now the street has returned its historical name.
Holy Cross Monastery
The Exaltation of the Cross Monastery was located in Moscow, in the White City, on Vozdvizhenka Street. The original name is the Monastery of the Exaltation of the Holy Life-Giving Cross of the Lord, which is on the Island. It was built no later than 1547.
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. The priest of this church, Alexander Sidorov, was arrested in 1931. He died in a concentration camp in Kem.
Folk traditions of the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross
In Russia, the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Life-Giving Cross of the Lord combined church and folk traditions.
On this day, the peasants painted crosses on the doors of houses, put small wooden crosses in the manger for cows and horses. If there was no cross, it was replaced by crossed rowan branches.
September 27 was also called the third Oseniny or Stavrov day. It was the final day of Indian summer, the third and last meeting of autumn. “Exaltation is in the yard, the last shock from the field is moving, the last cart is in a hurry to the threshing floor!” “On the Exaltation, a fur coat stretches for a caftan!”. "A zipun with a fur coat will move to the Exaltation!". “The exaltation of the caftan will be lifted, he will put on a fur coat!”. "Exaltation - the last cart moved from the field, and the bird flew away!".
The day was fasting: “Whoever fasts on the Exaltation, seven sins will be forgiven”, “Although on Sunday, fall on the Exaltation, and everything on it is Friday-Wednesday, Lenten food!”, “Who does not fast on the Exaltation - the Cross of Christ - seven sins will rise up!”
The Feast of the Exaltation was also called "cabbages". “Know, woman, about the cabbage - the Movement has come!”, “The movement of cabbages, it’s time to chop the cabbage!”, “Then chop the cabbage that is from the Movement!”, “A good man has pies with cabbage on the Day of the Movement!”, “On the Vzdvizhenye, the first lady is cabbage!” They also said: “No frost hits either Vozdvizhenskaya or Annunciation cabbage!” The youth arranged "Kapustensky evenings"; they lasted two weeks.
Proverbs about the Exaltation of the Cross
All sayings and proverbs dedicated to the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross are devoted to the theme of the approaching autumn or strict fasting on this day. For example: “Even though on Sunday the Exaltation falls, and everything on it is Friday-Wednesday, Lenten food!”, “Whoever does not fast with the Exaltation - the Cross of Christ - seven sins will be raised on him!”, Or: “Smart, woman, about cabbage - The rise has come!
Signs which are also associated with this holiday, like any other superstitions, have nothing to do with church doctrine and condemned by the Church.
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 the year 326 in Jerusalem near Mount Golgotha - the place of the crucifixion of Christ. Celebration 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 Your Cross, Master, and we glorify Your 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 other. 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 Russia 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. It has a long history. The earliest record of this rank is 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 Typikon 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 rite of the Week of the Cross. 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 three times 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 possible," 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 kneeling prayers and a large number of people who came to bow to the shrine were depicted in the foreground. 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 Russia
holiday in Russia 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 Russia, 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 Russia, 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 significance of the church holiday of the Exaltation of the honest and life-giving cross of the Lord was. The people firmly believed that on the day of the Exaltation, under no circumstances should one go to the forest, since the evil spirits can beat, or simply send the 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 Russia, 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 times, 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 church.
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 means and, despite the financial 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. At the very beginning of the 19th century, in 1801, during a severe fire that raged in Belev, the buildings of the monastery were 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 Cross of the Lord, the temple of the Vvedensky Tolga 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 keel-shaped 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 XVIII 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.
The Exaltation of the Holy Cross is celebrated on September 27. This day traditionally symbolizes the transition from autumn to winter. Like many Orthodox holidays in Ukraine, the Exaltation of the Cross was superimposed on the already existing folk traditions and signs. Thus, a symbiosis came out - a combination of Christian and more ancient, pagan, rites.
Exaltation of the Holy Cross - the history of the holiday
The feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross is always celebrated on the same day - September 27th. This is a unique holiday for Christianity, because, despite the status of the great, it is the only one whose history does not originate in the Bible.
The basis for the day of the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord was the tradition of later years. According to this tradition, in 326 AD. near the mountain of Calvary, on which Jesus was crucified, the Calvary cross was found.
Ancient books say that it was in that year that Empress Elena came to Jerusalem on a visit, later canonized and named Equal-to-the-Apostles Elena. She went to Jerusalem in search of the Lord's relics. And she became one of the first who conducted archaeological excavations in holy places. It was thanks to the excavations under the auspices of the Empress that the Cross of the Lord was found, in honor of which the festival takes place on September 27th.
Traditions for the Exaltation of the Cross
On the Exaltation of the Holy and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord, according to tradition, it is necessary to perform the All-Night Vigil and the Liturgy, but more often everyone holds a festive Divine service.
On the Exaltation of the Cross, they thank God for salvation and ask for the health and health of their loved ones.
Our ancestors believed that the life-giving cross protects everything living from the evil eye, dark forces and evil, therefore, on this day, home-made crosses were also consecrated in the church, which were placed in huts, barns, barns, in secluded places in the yard, as well as water.
In addition, a strict fast is observed on the Exaltation - neither meat nor dairy products can be eaten, even if the holiday falls on Sunday.
There are proverbs among the people: "Whoever fasts on the Exaltation, seven sins will be forgiven" or "Whoever does not fast on the Exaltation, seven sins will be forgiven."
What can not be done on the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord
At the Exaltation of the Cross, they tried not to start important matters. It was believed that they could "freeze" halfway, just like the weather.
Also tried not to go on a long journey. Ancestors believed that on this day you can wander to the wrong place.
On this day, both children and adults were strictly forbidden to walk in nature. Hiking in the forest, to water bodies or to the fields on this day is not recommended.
Signs for Exaltation
On this day, snakes hide in holes.
On the Vozdvizheniye, the bear is in the lair, the snake is in the hole, and the birds are to the south.
At the good hostess in Vozdvizhdeniye and cabbage pie.
In Exaltation from the field, the last mop moves.
From the Exaltation, autumn shifts to winter.
If a cold north wind blows on this day, then the next summer will be hot.
In the Exaltation of the bird, summer is carried away over the seas.
Whoever does not fast on the Exaltation - seven sins will be raised on him.
Prayer for the erection of the honest and life-giving Cross of the Lord
O Most Honorable and Life-Giving Cross of the 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 reason 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, and in the morning, and in the evening, and at noon, I glorify Thee, the blessed Tree, and I pray, by the will of the One 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.