February 10, 2021 171 0 Autonomous Church In the previous article on church structure, we briefly talked about the exarchate, as the lowest level of church self-government, not including, of course,…
February 3, 2021 192 0 What Is Exarchate? In the Creed, we confess the One, Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. It is the church of faith, the body of Christ, “the pillar…
January 22, 2021 798 1 What Is the Magisterium of the Orthodox Church? Very often the Orthodox hear the following question: “What does your Church teach on this or that issue?” Where can the Orthodox faithful find…
January 2, 2021 565 0 The Meanings Behind Liturgical Objects: An Artoclasia Tray An artoclasia tray is a liturgical vessel that holds the bread, wine, oil and wheat to be blessed in a vigil service. It holds…
December 23, 2020 326 0 Little-known Constantinople Councils and their Decisions There are many councils in the history of Orthodoxy. Seven of them are called Ecumenical for their indisputable authority for the entire church. Other…
December 9, 2020 819 0 The Ciborium: History and Origin This article is dedicated to ciborium, a distinct architectural object in a Christian temple. In modern churches, this construction is rare, but if you…
November 27, 2020 79 0 How Did Icon Painting Workshops (Artels) Work in Russia? The 17th century was a time when churches were actively built and revived in the Russian state, resulting in growing number of craft societies,…
November 18, 2020 290 0 History and Function of the Ancient Temple Elevations The most solemn moments of Matins, such as polyeleos, parastas and the lamentations (during the Holy Saturday and the Dormition of the Theotokos services)…
November 13, 2020 763 0 The History and Meaning of the Catapetasma Almost every church has a curtain separating the central nave from the altar. Historically, such a curtain appeared even earlier than the actual altar…
November 12, 2020 115 0 The Symbolism and Splendour of Gold in Church Art (Part 2) Part 1 How did gold come to be used in church art? Why does it adorn the images of the saints? Is gold still…