The colors of the vestments of the priests: what are they and what do they mean? About ecclesiastical vestments.

To participate in the Divine Service, the deacons put on the following clothes: surplice, orarion and handrails.
A surplice is a long garment without a cut in front and behind, with a hole for the head and wide sleeves. The surplice marks the purity of the soul. The right to wear a surplice can be given to both psalm-readers and laity serving in the temple.
Orarion - a long wide ribbon of the same material as the surplice. It marks the grace of God, which the deacon received in the sacrament of the Priesthood. Worn by a deacon, protodeacon, hierodeacon and archdeacon on the left shoulder, over the surplice.
Handrails - narrow armlets, pulled together with laces. The sleeves of the surplice are pulled together by the deacon and the vestment by the priests and bishops. They are wide strips of dense matter with the image of a cross. The handrails resemble bonds (ropes) on the hands of the Savior during His suffering.

Priest's Attire.

To correct the Divine Liturgy, the priest puts on such garments as a vestment, epitrachelion, belt, handrails, phelonion (or chasuble), and a loincloth.
A vest is a kind of surplice intended for the vestment of a priest and a bishop. The vest is a long to toe garment with narrow sleeves of a light (white, yellow) color. The episcopal vestment has gammatas, or sources - ribbons that tighten the sleeves at the wrist, which are considered as a symbolic image of the flow of blood from the perforated hands of Jesus Christ. The undershirt resembles a chiton (underwear) in which Jesus Christ walked the earth.
Epitrachelion - a long ribbon that goes around the neck and goes down with two ends. It marks the double, in comparison with the deacon, grace given to the priest for the performance of the sacraments. The epitrachelion is worn over a cassock or cassock. Without an epitrachili, a priest or bishop cannot serve as a priest. Seven crosses are sewn onto the stole. Six in front (three on each half), as a sign that the priest can perform six sacraments. Another cross, the seventh, is on the neck and symbolizes that the priest has accepted his priesthood from the bishop and is subject to him, and bears the burden of serving Jesus Christ.
The belt is put on over the stole and vest. The belt resembles the towel that Jesus Christ girded around when he washed the feet of his disciples at the Last Supper.
Riza (Phelon) - the priest's outer garment worn over other garments. The clothes are long, wide, sleeveless, with a hole for the head and a large cutout in the front, reaching to the waist, for free movement of the arms. The upper shoulders of the phelonion are firm and high. The rear, upper edge of the phelonion has the form of a truncated triangle or trapezoid and rises above the shoulders of the clergyman.
In its appearance, the phelonion resembles a purple robe, in which the suffering Jesus Christ was denounced and is interpreted as a garment of truth. On top of the chasuble on the chest of the priest is a pectoral cross.
The gaiter is a quadrangular board, hung on a ribbon over the shoulder at two corners on the right thigh. Issued to priests of the Russian Orthodox Church as a reward for diligent, long service. Symbolizes the spiritual sword.

Vestments of the Bishop (Bishop).

The bishop (bishop) puts on all the clothes of the priest: underdress, epitrachelion, belt, handrails. Only the riza is replaced by a sakkos, and the cuisse by a club. In addition, the omophorion, miter, and panagia are worn.
Sakkos - the upper garment of the bishop, replacing the robe and having the same symbolic meaning- the scarlet of the Savior. In terms of cut, it is a long, spacious garment (usually not sewn on the sides) with short, wide sleeves and a cutout for the head. From under the sakkos, both the cassock and the stole are visible.
Mace - a quadrangular board, hung at one corner, over the sakkos on the left thigh. In a symbolic sense, the club, like the cuisse, has the same meaning as the spiritual sword, that is, the Word of God, with which the shepherd must always be armed. But in comparison with the legguard, the club belongs to a higher level, since it also symbolizes the edge of the towel with which Jesus Christ wiped the feet of the disciples.
The omophorion is a long, wide, ribbon-like platter, decorated with crosses. It is laid on the shoulders of the bishop in such a way that, embracing the neck around, one end descends in front, and the other behind (great omophorion). Without an omophorion, a bishop cannot perform any service. The omophorion is worn over the sakkos and symbolizes a sheep that has gone astray and brought by the good shepherd on his shoulders to the house ( Luke 15:4-7), that is, the salvation of the human race by Jesus Christ. And the bishop dressed in it depicts Christ the Good Shepherd, who took the stray sheep on his shoulders and carried it to the unforgotten (that is, angels) in the house of the Heavenly Father.
Panagia is a small round image of the Savior or the Mother of God, decorated with colored stones. Worn on the chest, over the sakkos.
Orlets - a small round rug with the image of an eagle, placed under the feet of the bishop during worship. It means that the bishop must, like an eagle, ascend from the earthly to the heavenly. The spiritual meaning of the orlets with the image of the city and the eagle soaring above it indicates, first of all, the heavenly origin and dignity of the episcopal dignity. Standing everywhere on an eagle, the bishop, as it were, rests on the eagle all the time, that is, the eagle, as it were, constantly carries the bishop on itself.

Vestments of the Priests (Video).

Signs of Pastoral Authority.

During worship, bishops use a rod or staff as a sign of the highest pastoral authority. The staff is also given to archimandrites and abbots, as heads of monasteries.

Hats.

The head of the clergy during worship is decorated with a miter, or kamilavka. For more everyday needs, skufia is used.
Miter - Bishop's headdress, decorated with small icons and colored stones. It marks the crown of thorns that was placed on the head of Jesus Christ. The miter adorns the clergyman, as he depicts the King Christ during the service, and at the same time reminds of the crown of thorns with which the Savior was crowned. In the Orthodox Church, when putting on a miter on a bishop, a prayer is read: “ Put, Lord, on your head a crown and from other stones ...” as in the performance of the sacrament of marriage. For this reason, the miter is also understood as an image of golden crowns with which the righteous in the Kingdom of Heaven are crowned at the wedding feast of the union of Jesus Christ with the Church.
In the Russian Orthodox Church until 1987, not all bishops wore a miter with a cross, but only archbishops, metropolitans and patriarchs. On the proposal of Patriarch Pimen, the Holy Synod, at its meeting on December 27, 1987, determined that all bishops have the right to wear a miter with a cross. It should be noted that in some pre-Chalcedonian churches (in particular, the Armenian and Coptic ones), subdeacons wear a miter with a cross.
A variety of the Orthodox miter is the miter crown, which has a toothed crown above the lower girdle (usually of 12 petals). The miter crown was the main type of miter until the 18th century.

Kamilavka is a high cylindrical purple headdress with an expansion upwards, an honorary award of Orthodox priests.
Skufya is the everyday headdress of Orthodox clergy of all degrees and ranks. It is a small round black, softly folding cap; the folds of the worn skufi form around the head the sign of the cross.
In the ancient Russian church, according to the ancient custom of the Greek church, not only priests, but also deacons wore a skufia to cover their heads, on the dome of which a small circle (gumentse) was cut.
A purple velvet skuffia is given to members of the white clergy as a reward - the second after the legguard. The skufia received the value of the award since 1797.

Casual Robes.

The main everyday attire of the clergy and monasticism of all degrees is the cassock and cassock.
The cassock is an undergarment, it is a long, to the toe, with a tightly buttoned collar, a robe with narrow sleeves. For monks, the cassock should be black. The color of the white clergy cassocks is black, navy blue, brown, gray and white for summer. Material: cloth, wool, satin, linen, flax, less often silk fabrics.
A cassock is an outer garment with long, below the palms, wide sleeves. The most common cassock color is black, but there may be cassocks of navy blue, brown, white, and more rarely cream and grey. The materials for the cassocks are the same as for the cassocks. Both cassocks and cassocks can be lined. For everyday life, there are cassocks, which are demi-season and winter coats. These are cassocks of the first kind, with a turn-down collar trimmed with black velvet or fur. Winter cassocks-coats are made on a warm lining.
All divine services, except for the liturgy, are performed by the priest in a cassock and cassock, over which special liturgical robes (chasubles) are put on. When serving the liturgy, as well as in special cases when, according to the Rule, the priest must be in full liturgical vestments, the cassock is removed and a cassock and other vestments are put on over the cassock. The deacon serves in a cassock, over which a surplice is put on. The bishop performs all divine services in a cassock, on which special hierarchal robes are put on. The only exceptions are some prayer services, litias, cell and other clergy services of the bishop, when he can serve in a cassock or a cassock and a mantle, over which an epitrachelion is put on.
Thus, everyday robes of the clergy are an obligatory basis for liturgical vestments.

The color of liturgical robes symbolizes the holidays, events, days of remembrance on which worship is performed. Let's list these colors:
- Golden (yellow) of all shades (Royal color).
Days of memory of the prophets, apostles, saints, Equal-to-the-Apostles, other servants of the Church, as well as the faithful kings and princes, and on Lazarus Saturday (sometimes they also serve in white).
Golden robes are used in Sunday services, and also on most days of the year, unless someone is commemorated.
- White (Divine color).
Holidays: Nativity of Christ, Epiphany, Meeting, Transfiguration and Ascension, on Lazarus Saturday (sometimes also served in yellow), disembodied heavenly forces, as well as at the beginning of the Easter service. White vestments symbolize the light that shone from the tomb of Jesus Christ at His Resurrection.
White robes are used when performing the sacrament of baptism, weddings and funeral services, as well as when putting on a newly appointed priest.
- Blue (the color of supreme purity and purity).
Feasts of the Theotokos: Annunciation, Deposition of the Robe, Dormition, Christmas Holy Mother of God, Intercession, Introduction, days of memory of the Mother of God icons.
Blue various shades, down to blue, have the robes of metropolitans.

Purple or dark red.
Holy Week of Great Lent; The origin (wearing) of the honest trees of the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord; Exaltation of the Holy Cross.
Violet color have episcopal and archbishop's robes, as well as award skufis and kamilavkas.
- Red, Dark red, Burgundy, Crimson.
The color of the holidays and days of memory of the martyrs. Maundy Thursday.
At Easter - the joy of the Resurrection of Christ. In the days of memory of the martyrs - the color of the blood of the martyrs.
- Green (the color of life-giving and eternal life).disqus

The robes of the clergy testify to their rank and rank, thus highlighting the bearers of this rank from among worldly people. This corresponds to the concept of the Church as a kingdom not of this world, but for the clergy it is a constant reminder that they must always, in any situation, be worthy of the highest service they have received from God.

There are two types of everyday robes for clergy and monks: cassock and cassock.

Cassock- a long robe reaching to the heels with narrow sleeves and a tightly buttoned collar. It is of two types.

1 . Sewn in at the waist, cut from top to bottom, with a widened bottom. The left lower floor is wrapped inside under the right floor, which, in turn, is fastened on the left side of the neck with special hooks, as well as in the belt.

Priest in non-liturgical vestments

2 . So-called single row, most often sewn in at the waist, but there is also a straight line, cut in the center either from the neck to the chest, or from the neck to the bottom. Single row fastens in the center with the help of a row of buttons going from the middle of the collar to the bottom edge (traditionally - 33 pieces). Cassock - this is an undergarment, the color of which indicates which clergy - black (monastic) or white (parish priesthood) he belongs to. For monastics, it can only be black, while for white clergy, in addition to black, it can also be dark blue, and brown, and gray, and White color robes. Material for making cassocks cloth, wool, satin, linen, flax, and also silk should serve.

cassock(Greek "that roson" - torn, worn, lintless clothes) - the outer garment of monks and clergymen of all degrees with long, below the palms, wide sleeves, mostly black (for monastics); for the white clergy, in addition to black, dark blue, gray, brown, cream and white are possible. Usually, cassock fastened at the collar and at the waist. Cassocks, like cassocks, they have two main cuts:

1 .Cut the same as in cassocks of the first kind, only the sleeve is longer and widened at the bottom. Exist cassocks of this cut, sewn as demi-season and winter coats, with a turn-down collar trimmed with black velvet or fur.

2. The cassock is straight, split in the middle, buttoned only on the collar and on the chest with straight sleeves equally wide from the base to the end. it cassock Greek pattern.

The materials for the cassocks are the same as for the cassocks, moreover, both of them can be lined. All divine services, except for the Liturgy, must be performed by a priest in a cassock and cassock. In addition, at different moments of different services, other liturgical robes are put on over them. (chasubles), the use of each of which is determined by the Charter. During the Liturgy and in other cases, when the priest must be in full liturgical vestments, the cassock removed and over cassock is put on so-called underdress and other vestments.

General symbolic meaning cassock and cassock - this is an inner renunciation of worldly care and fuss, peace and tranquility of the heart, a sign of spiritual peace. Cassock and cassock - this is an image of the outer clothing that the Lord wore during earthly life. Thus, putting them on, representatives of the clergy and monastics imitate Jesus Christ according to the commandment that he gave to His disciples.

In the Russian Church there were two cuts of cassocks Kyiv and Moscow. Kyiv cut is characterized by the fact that cassock slightly sutured at the waist from the sides, and the back is made straight. Moscow the cut differs in that cassock significantly sutured at the waist and fits snugly to the body from the sides and from the back.

Monastics, in addition to the above robes, wear the so-called mantle(or pale), which is a long, floor-length, sleeveless cape of exclusively black color, fastened only at the collar. This cape symbolizes the extreme detachment of monks from the world.

The daily attire of the clergy also includes headdresses, which are of several types:

1 .Skufya (gr. head cover) - the headdress of clergy and clergy, which is a pointed hat, for clergy - made of velvet. It covers the head up to the eyebrows, and its folds form the sign of the cross.

2 . Kamilavka- a high solid headdress of monks and the white priesthood, made, as a rule, from camel hair. Latest purple kamilavki or skufii are given as a reward and a badge of distinction.

Kamilavka

3 .Cowl (Turk, cap, hat) - is both everyday and liturgical headdress of monastics. It combines into a whole a solid kamilavka in the form of a cylinder expanding upwards and basting in the form of a cylinder of black crepe attached to the top, falling in three tongues: two - on the sides in front; and one on the back. Bishop's cowl similar in shape to a monk. Metropolitans wear cowl white with an embroidered cross, archbishops - black with an embroidered cross, bishops - without a cross. Patriarchal hood - hemispherical shape, black or white, with a cross on the pommel, with embroidered images of Seraphim or crosses, one ribbon, wider, descends on the back and two on the chest. In the Russian Church there is a custom to wear black for archbishops and white for metropolitans. hoods diamond crosses.

Patriarchal hood (or kukul)

4 . doll or kukul (lat. cucullus - hood) - the upper vestment of a monk of the great schema, which has the shape of a pointed hood with two long, like a klobuk, strips of black material covering the back and chest. Belonging cockle are images of crosses (decorated with five crosses located on the forehead, on the chest, on both shoulders and on the back), Seraphim and the text of the Trisagion. He wears over a robe.

Moreover, the priests Orthodox Church they necessarily have a cross put on them over vestments, which, depending on the position of its owner in the church hierarchy or his merits, can be of several varieties:

1 . Pectoral cross(or priestly), worn by a priest over a cassock (during off-service time) or a phelonion (in service), is a distinctive (and inalienable) sign of his belonging to the second degree of the priesthood. pectoral cross, worn by a priest is made of silver, an archpriest is made of gold. This cross eight-pointed shape with a relief Crucifix on the front side and the inscription in the upper part: “Where, King, Glory” (“The Lord is the King of Glory”). At the ends of the center bar cross the inscription “IC, XC” (“Jesus Christ”) was made, and under the lower oblique crossbar - “Nika”, which in Greek means the winner. On the other side cross an inscription is made: “The image of a wake right word life, love, spirit, faith, purity. It is worn on a silver chain of single elongated rings. How can a priest wear an award? gilded cross. Gold pectoral cross - affiliation of the archpriest.

Pectoral (or priestly) cross

2 . Cross with decorations- pectoral cross with precious stones, presented to a clergyman as a reward for his special merits.

Cross with decorations

3. Cabinet Cross- originally introduced by the Decree of the Holy Synod of February 24, 1820, the golden cross issued from the Emperor's office to Russian priests serving abroad. Later it was used as a reward for clergy and those who did not leave Russia.

Panagia-reliquary

An exclusively episcopal insignia was panagia, which has several different names. Panagia(encolpion, nadrennik, breastplate, panagir)- a small ark of a rectangular, round or cruciform shape with the image of Jesus Christ or saints. used to be inside panagia particles of consecrated prosphora or the relics of saints were placed. She is currently an image Mother of God, most often round or oval, with various decorations, without relics. Bishop's cross and panagia are signs of the highest authority in the Church.

Modern Bishop's Panagia

From 1742 panagia began to be given as a reward to the archimandrites of some monasteries. To distinguish a bishop from an archimandrite during divine services, the first had to wear the bishop's cross.

Bishop in liturgical vestments

His Holiness the Patriarch wears two panagia(the second - with the image of the Lord Jesus Christ), the Metropolitan of Kyiv was awarded the same right. In addition, at the request of the Synod, two panagia worn by especially honored bishops, the second is given to them as a reward.

Also during non-liturgical time, bishops wear staves- long wooden canes, mounted with overlays, having thickenings in the upper part of carved bone, valuable breeds wood, silver or other metal. Casual staves have more ancient origin than liturgical wands. The liturgical rod appeared much later, because strict canonical rules ordered the clergy not to adorn themselves with expensive clothes and household items. Only at the divine service, where the bishop symbolizes the image of the glory of the Heavenly King, he can replace staff a specially decorated, magnificent rod.

In this way, non-liturgical vestments deacon are cassock and cassock;

priest – cassock, cassock and pectoral cross;

bishop - cassock, cassock, mantle, hood, pectoral cross and panagia.

liturgical vestments

These robes, which have a common name "chasubles", used by the clergy in the course of worship. They fall into three categories: deacon, priest and hierarchical(the robes of clergy who do not belong to the clergy do not fall into these categories). An interesting feature is the fact that each subsequent degree of priesthood has all the liturgical robes of the previous one, plus those robes that belong to their degree. That is, the priest has all the diaconal robes and, moreover, those inherent in his dignity; the bishop has all the priestly robes (except for the phelonion, which is replaced by the sakkos) and, moreover, those assigned to his episcopal rank.

Deacon in liturgical vestments

Priest in liturgical vestments

Some of these garments are symbols of grace gifts, and without them a clergyman cannot perform divine services. liturgical vestments are:

1 . For deacon – cassock, handrails, surplice, orarion;

2 . For priest – cassock, cassock(during the Liturgy instead of cassocks put on underdress), handrails, stole, belt, phelonion, pectoral cross;

3 . For bishop – cassock, cassock(at the Liturgy instead of a cassock - underdress ), handrails, stole, belt, mace, sakkos(instead of sakkos may be phelonion ), omophorion, panagia, cross, miter.

The clergy serve in surplice.

Some divine services the priest can perform without phelonion, and the bishop without sakkos. As a reward, priests are given the right to wear skufii, kamilavki or miter, as well as gaiter, club, cross with decorations.

Surplice- liturgical vestments of clergy and clergy. Differ surplice clergyman, deacon, priest and bishop. The difference between the liturgical robes of the lower rank of clergy - deacons - is that they serve in a cassock, over which they put on surplice. Surplice a deacon (and a clergyman - an altar boy, sexton) is a long robe, consisting, as it were, of two halves, with wide sleeves, with slits from the armpits to the bottom, fastened with buttons. Surplice symbolizes the garment of salvation. Priestly and episcopal surplice are a vestment called a vestment.

Undertaker- liturgical vestments of a priest and a bishop - long to toe silk (rarely from other materials) clothes, waist-length, with narrow sleeves, white or yellow. Bishop's underdress has so-called gammates, or sources - ribbons that tighten the sleeve at the wrist. Gammata symbolize the flow of blood from the perforated hands of the Savior. As already mentioned, underdress replaces the hierarch or priest's cassock during the celebration of the Liturgy.

Undershirt

Handrails- part of the liturgical vestments of the clergy, which are trapezoidal strips of dense matter with the image of a cross on their outer side, sheathed along the edges with a ribbon that has a different than themselves handrails, shade. Other name handrail - armlets, means that this part of the liturgical vestment is fixed on the wrist, on the sleeve of the cassock. Handrail it is pulled together with a cord threaded into metal loops at its lateral edges, and the cord is tightly wrapped around the arm and firmly held on it. Handrails symbolize God's power, strength and wisdom, bestowed on the clergy to perform the Divine Mysteries.

Orar- part of the liturgical vestments of the deacon and subdeacon - a long narrow ribbon worn by them on the left shoulder, with one end descending to the chest, the other to the back. orarion It belongs only to deacons and got its name from the Greek verb “oro”, which means I look, guard, observe. However, in Latin there is a verb that is absolutely identical in spelling (lat. verb " oro"), but having the meaning of "pray". Another meaning of the word orarion - towel, lention (from lat. orarium).

Archdeacon and Protodeacon have double orarion, which is two connected orarii: one is put on similarly to the diaconal one, and the second goes down from the left shoulder to the right thigh, where it joins at the ends.

orarion symbolizes those grace-filled gifts that the deacon receives during ordination. The subdeacon puts on orarion cruciform, as a sign that he does not have the grace of a clergyman. According to St. John Chrysostom orarion symbolizes immaterial angelic wings in accordance with the image of angelic service in the Church, which is personified by the deacons.

Stole(Greek. neck) - an accessory of the liturgical vestments of a priest and a bishop, which is a long ribbon (orarion of a deacon, but, as it were, doubled), covering the neck and descending to the chest with both ends. The front is sewn or fastened with buttons, put on over a undershirt or cassock. Formed from orarion stole meant that the priest acquires a special grace compared to the deacon, giving him the right and duty to be the performer of the Sacraments of the Church. Stole symbolizes the blessed gifts of the priest, received by him in the Sacrament of the Priesthood. That is why when dressed in stole a prayer is read: “Blessed be God, pouring out Your grace on Your priests, like Miro on his head, descending on his brother, Aaron’s brother, descending on his clothes” (see:).

Epitrachelion and handrails

Without stole Priests and bishops do not have the right to perform divine services. Only in extremely difficult circumstances can any long piece of cloth or rope, especially blessed, be used instead.

Belt- a part of the liturgical vestments of a priest and a bishop, worn over the underdress and stole, is a dense, 10-15 cm wide, strip of matter with trim in the form of stripes of a different shade along the edges. In the middle belts a cross is sewn on, and at its ends there are long ribbons with which it is fixed at the back, on the lower back. The belt resembles the towel with which the Savior girded himself when washing the feet of His disciples at the Last Supper. Symbolically belt in religious everyday life it always meant strength, strength, power, readiness for service, which is clearly reflected in the prayer read when putting it on: supply me" (see:). It retains the same meaning to this day.

phelonion- the liturgical vestment of a priest, which is a long cape (from the back) to the heels (from the back), which in front only reaches the waist. It has a slit for the head and a raised rigid shoulder, sleeveless. On the phelonion there are four symbolic bands, which mean the Four Gospels, whose ministers and evangelists are bishops and priests. Also, the stripes mean Divine protection, grace, strength and wisdom, bestowed on a clergyman who performs the Sacraments of the Church. On the back at the top phelonion sewn under the shoulder strip as well as on the surplice the sign of the cross, and below under the cross closer to the hem - eight pointed star. Star and cross phelonion mark the union in the Orthodox Church of the grace of the priesthood of the Old (star) and New (cross) Testaments.

There is still short, or small phelonion, covering the body only to the waist (moreover, it is smaller in front than in the back). It is worn during consecration to the clergy and is not used in other divine services.

Felony in the ancient Church were white. Simeon, Archbishop of Thessalonica, gives this explanation of the symbolic meaning phelonion: “The whiteness of this garment means purity, holiness and the radiance of the Glory of God, for there is light and clothe yourself with light, like a robe ... The phelonion is sewn without sleeves in the image of sackcloth, which the Savior was wearing at the time of desecration. This priestly garment covers the entire body, from head to toe, in the image of God's Providence, which supports and preserves us from the beginning. During the ritual, the phelonion is raised with both hands, and these hands, like wings, mean angelic dignity, and the actions performed by them effective force which the priest performs the Sacrament. The sacred phelonion means the highest and from above given power and the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit. This garment means both the lordship of the first Higher ranks, and the power of God, all-containing, providential, omnipotent, beneficent, by which the Word descended even to us and through the incarnation, crucifixion and resurrection united everything above with the earth.

In the ancient Church, owned by patriarchs and metropolitans phelonion were entirely covered with images of crosses and were called because polystauria (gr.. polycross). Material for tailoring phelonion is gold and silver brocade, as well as materials of other primary colors used in worship.

Gaiter is part of the liturgical vestments of some priests and is a rectangle that is worn on a long ribbon at the hip. Right to wear gaiter given to priests as a reward. Gaiter is regarded as a symbolic image of a spiritual weapon - the word of God. This idea is also expressed in the verses of the psalm, which the priest must read while dressing gaiter“Gird up Your sword on Your thigh, Mighty One, with Your beauty and Your kindness, and nalyats, and succeed, and reign for the sake of truth, and meekness and righteousness, and Your right hand will guide You marvelously, always, now and ever, and forever and ever. " (cm.: ).

Gaiter

Gaiter trimmed around the edges with a sewn strip of matter different from that from which it is sewn itself. In the center gaiter there is always a cross, and its lower edge is usually decorated with a fringe.

Mace- a part of the liturgical vestments of a bishop, archimandrite or priest (given to priests as a reward), which is a cloth rhombus, hung on one of sharp corners and worn on a ribbon at the right thigh.

When, as a reward for diligent service, the right to wear mace archpriests receive, they also wear it on the right side, and in this case the legguard moves to the left. For archimandrites, as well as for bishops, mace serves as a necessary accessory to their vestments. Symbolic meaning clubs similar to what the legguard has, that is, both of these items mean the spiritual sword of the word of God (diamond-shaped clubs means Four Gospels).

From what service the clergy perform in this moment depends on what and how many items of liturgical attire they will use. So small priestly vestment, in which all evening, morning services and requirements are served, except for the Liturgy, are: epitrachelion, handrails and phelonion.

Full dress used during the service of the Liturgy and in other cases provided for by the Charter. It is made up of: underdress, over which is worn stole, after cuffs, belt, gaiter and mace(who has them) and also phelonion. Because the gaiter and mace are awards to the clergy and are not available to every priest, then they are not among the mandatory items of vestments.

Bishop in liturgical vestments

Bishops have a much wider range of vestments they use. In addition to the items listed above, there are also sakkos, omophorion, miter(although it may be an award to a very deserving priest, but in this case it is not crowned with a cross), bishop's baton and mantle. In the number of items full episcopal vestments three of the above are not included: miter, bishop's baton and mantle. In this way, full episcopal liturgical vestment in accordance with the seven sacraments performed by the bishop, contains seven core subjects: underdress, stole, handrails, belt, club, omophorion and sakkos.

Sakkos(Hebrew sackcloth, sackcloth) - the liturgical vestment of a bishop: long to the toes, spacious clothes with wide sleeves, made of expensive fabric. Sakkos in appearance it resembles a deacon's surplice, with the difference that it is cut completely: along the lower side of the sleeves and along the sides to the floor. It is connected along the cut line by the so-called bells, which replace the buttons of the deacon's surplice, which perform similar functions, but in addition to this they emit melodic sounds at those moments when the bishop moves. over sakkos an omophorion and a panagia with a cross are put on.

Sakkos spiritually means the same as phelonion. This determines the fact that when putting it on there is no special prayer, only the deacon reads while the bishop is vesting: “Thy bishops, Lord, will put on righteousness.” Sakkos, as a rule, are sewn from expensive brocade and decorated with images of crosses.

front half sakkos symbolizes the priesthood of the New Testament, the back - the Old Testament. Their connection with bells symbolically signifies the inseparable, but also inseparable succession of this priesthood in Christ. Another symbolic meaning of this connection is the dual nature of the bishop's ministry both to God and to people.

omophorion(Greek. worn on the shoulders) - belonging to the liturgical vestments of the bishop. omophorion Bishop at its ends has two sewn transverse stripes - a sign of a purely renunciation of all vain. The two main symbolic meanings assimilated omophorion the following: the likeness of the bishop to Christ in his care for the salvation of people and the special fullness of Divine grace and power granted to the bishop for this.

Great omophorion

There are two types omophorion:

1 .Great omophorion It is a long wide ribbon with images of crosses. It goes around the neck of the bishop and descends with one end on the chest, and with the other - on his back. Great omophorion the bishop wears from the moment the Liturgy begins until the reading of the Apostle.

2 . Small omophorion It is a wide ribbon with images of crosses, which descends at both ends to the chest and is sewn or fastened with buttons in front.

Worn over sakkos. Symbolically depicts the blessed gifts of the bishop, therefore, without omophorion the bishop cannot perform the priesthood. The bishop conducts all divine services in grand omophorion, except for the Liturgy, which, after the reading of the Apostle, is performed in small omophorion. But small omophorion does not replace epitrachili.

Bishop's baton with sulk

sew omophorions from brocade, silk and other fabrics of different colors accepted in the Church.

Bishop's baton (staff)- this is a symbol of the spiritual archpastoral authority of the bishop over the church people, given by Christ to His disciples, called to preach the word of God. According to the interpretation of Blessed Simeon, Archbishop of Thessalonica, “the scepter held by the bishop means the power of the Spirit, the affirmation and shepherding of people, the power to guide those who do not submit to punish and those who are far away to gather to themselves. Therefore, the wand has handles (horns over the wand), like anchors. And over those handles, the Cross of Christ means victory. Bishop's wands, especially metropolitans and patriarchs, it is customary to decorate with precious stones, overlays, inlays. A feature of Russian episcopal rods is sulbk- two scarves, nested one inside the other and fixed at the handle. In Russia, its appearance was due to severe weather conditions: the lower handkerchief was supposed to protect the hand from touching the cold metal of the wand, and the upper one - from frost on the street.

Bishop's mantle

Bishop's mantle, unlike the mantle of a simple monk, it is purple (for bishops), blue (for metropolitans) and green (for His Holiness the Patriarch). Besides, episcopal mantle bigger and longer. On its front side, at the shoulders and at the hem are sewn "tablets"– rectangles with trim along the edges and crosses or icons inside the shoulder rectangles. The lower ones may contain the bishop's initials. Tablets on the robes mean that the bishop, governing, must be guided by the commandments of God.

Full Width robes three wide two-color stripes, called sources, or jets. They symbolically depict the teaching itself, as if "flowing" from the Old and New Testaments and the preaching of which is the duty of the bishops, as well as the teaching grace of the bishopric. spiritually mantle repeats some symbolic meanings of the phelonion, sakkos and omophorion, as if “replacing” them, since it is worn when these liturgical vestments (except for the omophorion) are not on the bishop. used episcopal mantle during solemn processions, at the entrance to the temple and at divine services, at the moments determined by the Charter. In general, when putting on liturgical clothes mantle removed.

Miter(Greek bandage worn on the head) - a headdress that is part of the bishop's vestments. It is also among the items of liturgical vestments of archimandrites and those priests who have the right to wear miter given as a reward. It has a pear shape. Usually made of velvet stripes on a rigid frame, decorated with small and medium-sized pearls in the form of floral ornament(as one of the options); in general, decoration options miter lots of. On the sides miter four small icons are placed: the Savior, the Mother of God, John the Baptist and any saint or holiday; top part crowned with an icon of the Holy Trinity or Seraphim. Instead of the icon on the top of the bishop's miter a small cross is erected.

Types of sacred vestments.

If for worldly affairs, on important solemn occasions, they dress not in ordinary everyday clothes, but in the best, then it is all the more natural that when serving the Lord God, clergy and clergymen put on special clothes, the purpose of which is to distract the mind and heart from everything earthly and lift them up to God. Special liturgical clothes were introduced for clergy back in the Old Testament. It was strictly forbidden to enter the tabernacle and the Jerusalem temple for service without special robes, which, after the service, had to be removed when leaving the temple. And at the present time, sacred - church ministers during the performance of church services put on special sacred clothes, which, according to the three degrees of the church hierarchy, are divided into deacon, priest and episcopal. According to the teaching of the Church, each highest degree of the church hierarchy contains grace, and at the same time the rights and privileges of the lower degrees. This is clearly expressed by the fact that the sacred garments characteristic of the lower degrees belong to the higher ones. Therefore, the order in vestments is as follows: first they put on clothes belonging to the lower rank, and then to the highest. So the bishop dresses first in the clothes of a deacon, then in the clothes of a priest, and then already in those that belong to him as a bishop. The priest, too, first puts on the clothes of the deacon, and then the priest's.

Clothes of a reader or singer.

This is a short phelonion (the upper vestment of priests for worship in the form of a brocade, sleeveless robe woven with gold or silver), which at the present time is put on the reader only at his initiation. It has the appearance of a priestly phelonion, but differs from it in that it is very short, barely covering the shoulders. It is worn as a sign of dedication to the service of God. Now the reader performs his service in clothes, which are called surplice.

Surplice

- This is a long straight dress with wide sleeves. Since priests and bishops wear a surplice under other robes, their surplice is slightly changed in shape and is called a vestment. The surplice is made mainly of white or light matter to remind the wearer of the purity of life that is required of him. The surplice also marks the “robe of salvation and the garment of joy,” that is, a calm conscience and the spiritual joy that comes from this.

The orarion is also attached to the clothes of the subdeacon and deacon. This is a long wide ribbon, with which the subdeacon girds himself crosswise, and the deacon wears it on his left shoulder. Girdling with an orarion serves as a sign that the subdeacon, with humility and purity of heart, should serve God and people. When consecrating a subdeacon to the deacon, the bishop places the orarion on his left shoulder. Only at the Liturgy, after the prayer "Our Father", the deacon girds himself with the orarion cross-shaped, thereby preparing himself for the communion of the Holy Mysteries of the Body and Blood of the Lord. Usually, when proclaiming litanies and other exclamations, he raises the end of the orarion, holding it with three fingers of his right hand. In ancient times, the deacon wiped the lips of those who took communion with an orarion. The word "orar" comes from the Latin "th" - I ask, or I pray. Orarion marks the wings of angels, because the deacon's ministry symbolizes the ministry of angels at the Throne of God. Therefore, an angelic song is sometimes embroidered on the orar: "Holy, Holy, Holy." When placing an orarion on himself, the deacon does not read any prayer.

Handrails, or "sleeves" belong to the clothes of the deacon. They are used in order to pull the edges of the sleeves of the underwear - as if to strengthen the hands, to make them more capable of performing the sacrament. The instructions remind the clergyman that he should rely not on his own strength, but on the strength and help of the Lord. The handrails are reminiscent of the ties with which the most pure hands of the Savior were bound.

The clothes of the priest include: a vestment (surplice), epitrachelion, handrails, a belt and a phelonion. There are also two more accessories that are not included in the number of obligatory clothes for a priest - this is a cuisse and a club. They are the awards that the bishops bestow on honored priests.

Stole

- this is nothing more than a deacon's orarion wrapped around the neck so that both ends of it go down in front. In ancient times, when consecrating a deacon to the priesthood, the bishop, instead of placing an epitrachelion on him, transferred only the back end of the orarion to the right shoulder so that both ends hung down in front. This is also indicated by the very form of the epitrachili, representing, as it were, a double-folded orarion. Epitrachelion signifies the special grace of the priesthood given to the priest. A priest without a stole, like a deacon without an orarion, does not perform a single service. He performs less solemn services in one stole.

Belt

- a ribbon with which the priest girds himself up the vestibule and stole in order to make it more convenient to perform the ritual. The belt recalls the girdling of the Lord Jesus Christ before the Last Supper and symbolizes the power of God and at the same time readiness for priestly service.

Gaiter and Mace

- these are the clothes that the priest receives as a reward, and the gaiter is the first priestly award, and the club already belongs to the bishop's clothes. It is also given to some archpriests, archimandrites and abbots. The gaiter is a quadrangular oblong plat, worn on the thigh of a clergyman on a long ribbon thrown over the shoulder, and the club is a quadrangular equilateral plat, made in the form of a rhombus. The gaiter and club symbolize the spiritual sword, the spiritual weapon, which is the Word of God. The gaiter is an award introduced in the Russian Church. In the East, only the club is known. The gaiter is put on the right thigh, and when a club is given, the gaiter is hung on the left thigh, and the club is placed on the right.

Phelon (riza)

- means "all-covering clothes." This is a long, wide, sleeveless garment covering the whole body with a hole for the head. The phelonion is worn over other garments and covers them. The phelonion, decorated with many crosses, was also called "polistavrion" - "crossed riza". The phelonion symbolizes the clothes in which the soldiers who scolded Him clothed the Lord, and reminds the priest that in the service he depicts the Lord, who sacrificed Himself for the justification of people. The priest wears a phelonion during more solemn services. At the same time, according to the Rule, the priest dresses several times during the divine service and undresses again, which is now by no means always observed in parish churches due to various abbreviations introduced into worship.

Monastics wear special headdresses - klobuk, kamilavka and skufiya - black, and the priests of the white clergy are given in the form of distinctions or awards skufi, and then purple kamilavka. The name "skufia" comes from the word "skyphos" - a bowl, because its shape resembles a bowl. "Kamilavka" comes from the name of the material from which it was previously made in the East and which was made from the camel's neck wool.

Bishops, in addition to priestly robes (epitracilius, vestry, belts and handrails), also have clothes characteristic of their rank: sakkos, omophorion, miter and a cross with a panagia.

Sakkos

- "clothes of sadness, humility and repentance." This is the upper episcopal clothing, similar in shape to the surplice but shorter than it, somewhat wider in volume and decorated with bells. Sakkos has the same meaning as phelonion. In ancient times, only some bishops wore sakkos, basically everyone wore a phelonion. The bells at the sakkos symbolize the gospel of the Word of God coming from the lips of the bishop.

omophorion

- clothes worn by the bishop on the shoulders. This is a long and wide board, reminiscent of a deacon's orarion, but only wider and longer. The omophorion is placed on top of the sakkos, with one end descending forward on the chest, and with the other back, on the back of the bishop. Without an omophorion, a bishop does not perform a single service. The omophorion was made earlier from a wave (wool), which signified a lost sheep, i.e. sinful human race. The bishop with the omophorion symbolizes the Good Shepherd - Christ the Savior carrying the lost sheep on His shoulders. As a result of this significance of the omophorion, it was taken off and put on again several times during the service of the Liturgy. In those moments when the bishop symbolizes Christ, he is in an omophorion; when he reads the Gospel, makes a great entrance and the passing of the Holy Gifts, the omophorion is removed from the bishop, for in the Gospel and the Holy Gifts Christ Himself appears to those who pray. Usually, after the first removal of the omophorion from the bishop, another omophorion, smaller in size, is put on it again, therefore it is called a small omophorion. The small omophorion falls with both ends in front on the bishop's chest, and it is significantly shorter than the first great omophorion.

Miter

- (from Greek - “I bind”), means “bandage”, “tiara”, “crown”. In liturgical books, a miter is called a hat. This royal adornment is given to a bishop because he depicts the King, Christ, in service. At the same time, the miter also serves as a sign of hierarchical authority. It should remind the bishop himself of the crown of thorns, which the soldiers placed on the head of Christ, as well as of the sovereign, with which His head was entwined during burial.

In the Russian Church, the miter is given to archimandrites and some archpriests. At certain moments of worship, the miter is removed. The bishop removes the miter during the great entrance, in front of the Creed, for the whole time, when the air is blowing over the Holy Gifts, from the words “Take, eat ...” - to the application of the Holy Gifts, during communion, and also when he himself reads the Gospel ( but not when listening to the reading). Archimandrites and archpriests take off their miter for the entire time when the Typicon instructs to stand with their heads uncovered.

Mantle

There is a monastic garment that covers the entire body, except for the head. It depicts the wings of angels, which is why it is called angelic clothing. Embracing the whole body, the mantle symbolizes the all-covering power of God, as well as the severity, reverence and humility of monastic life. Monastics must wear robes when performing divine services.

An ordinary monastic robe is black and does not have any decorations on it.

Bishop's mantle

- purple, the so-called tablets and sources are sewn on it. There are also tablets on the mantle of the archimandrite.

Tablets

- these are quadrangular boards, usually dark red (and green for archimandrites), which are sewn to the upper and lower edges of the mantle. They personify the Old and New Testament, from which the clergy should draw their teaching. Sometimes crosses or icons are sewn on the tablets, embroidered with gold or colored threads. Sources are ribbons of different colors, mostly white and red, which are sewn along the mantle and depict streams of teaching flowing from the lips of the bishop. On the mantle of the bishop there are also bells, as they were on the outer clothing of the Jewish high priest. According to the custom in some Local Churches, the highest bishops, for example, patriarchs and metropolitans, wear green and blue robes. All monastics, not excluding hierarchs, serve in robes in all those cases when it is not required by the Rule to put on full vestments.

Eaglets

- small round rugs with the image of an eagle flying over the city, symbolizing the area of ​​government entrusted to the bishop. The eagle marks the purity of teaching, radiance - the light of theological knowledge and grace-filled talent. Eaglets rely during worship under the feet of the bishop and remind him that he must, with his thoughts and deeds, be above all earthly things and strive for heaven like an eagle.

EVERYDAY GARMENTS

Everyday robes, which distinguish the servants of the Church from lay people and testify to their dignity and rank, once originated from the robes used in the world, and quickly, already in ancient times, acquired special features, so that the clergy and monasticism began to stand out outwardly from the secular environment. This deeply corresponded to the concept of the Church as a kingdom not of this world, which, although it goes through its journey and ministry in the world, is nevertheless profoundly different from it in its nature. In the minds of the ancients, the sacred dignity or monastic rank obliged the bearers of such to be always and everywhere what they are before God and the Church.

The main everyday attire of the clergy and monasticism of all degrees are cassock and cassock.

It is a long, to the toe, robe with narrow sleeves with a tightly buttoned collar. A cassock is an undergarment. For monastics, it should be black. The color of the white clergy cassocks is black, navy blue, brown, gray and white for summer. Material: cloth, wool, satin, linen, flax, less often silk fabrics.

- outer garment with long, below the palms, wide sleeves. The cassocks are predominantly black, but can be dark blue, brown, white, less often cream and gray. The materials for the cassocks are the same as for the cassocks. Both cassocks and cassocks can be lined.

For everyday life, there are cassocks, which are demi-season and winter coats. These are cassocks of the first kind, with a turn-down collar trimmed with black velvet or fur. Winter cassocks-coats are made on a warm lining.

All divine services, except for the Liturgy, are performed by the priest in a cassock and cassock, over which special liturgical robes are put on ( vestments). When serving the Liturgy, as well as in special cases when, according to the Rule, the priest must be in full liturgical vestments, the cassock is removed and a cassock and other vestments are put on over the cassock. The deacon serves in a cassock, over which he wears surplice.

The bishop performs all divine services in a cassock, on which special hierarchal robes are put on. The only exceptions are some prayer services, litias, cell and other clergy services of the bishop, when he can serve in a cassock or a cassock and a mantle, over which an epitrachelion is put on.

Thus, everyday robes of the clergy are an obligatory basis for liturgical vestments.

Long-sleeved clothing with narrow sleeves was widespread in the world among the Eastern and Western nations. Loose long clothes with wide sleeves - oriental origin. It was also widespread in the Jewish environment during the earthly life of the Savior, Who Himself wore such clothes, as evidenced by tradition and iconography. Therefore, the cassock and cassock are considered the garment of the Lord Jesus Christ. The antiquity of this type of clothing is indirectly confirmed by the fact that even today many Eastern peoples as a traditional national dress, a wide long slit and unslit front robe with wide long sleeves, very similar to a cassock, is used. The word "cassock" comes from the Greek adjective "to ráson", which means - scraped, worn, devoid of lint, worn. It was precisely such almost beggarly clothes that monastics were supposed to wear in the Ancient Church. From the monastic environment, the cassock came into use for all the clergy, which is confirmed by many testimonies.

In the Russian Church until the 17th century, cassocks were not required. In everyday situations, the clergy wore long single-rows of a special cut made of cloth and velvet of green, purple and crimson colors. The gates were also trimmed with velvet or fur. Single rows of secular persons in many ways differed from the robes of the clergy, so that the clergy in Russia from ancient times stood out with their appearance from the secular environment. Even the wives of the white clergy necessarily wore such clothes in which one could immediately recognize their mothers in them. Expanding ties with the Orthodox East in the second half of the 17th century contributed to the penetration of the robes of the Greek clergy into the Russian church environment. The Great Moscow Cathedral of 1666-1667 decided to bless for Russian clergymen and monks the spiritual robes adopted at that time in the Orthodox East. At the same time, a reservation was made that the Council does not force, but only blesses the wearing of such robes and strictly forbids condemning those who do not dare to wear them. So the first Greek cassock appeared in Russia. But a loose straight cassock, convenient for countries with a hot climate, seemed apparently unacceptable in our country also due to the fact that external conditions created the habit of wearing clothes that fit tightly to the body, moreover, spacious clothes with a slit in the middle, in front, were worn in that time the Turks. Therefore, Russian cassocks began to be wrapped up and sewn in at the waist, the sleeve was made from a straight line in the form of a bell. At the same time, two cuts of cassocks arose - Kyiv and Moscow. The “Kyiv” cassock is slightly sutured at the waist from the sides, and leaves the back straight, while the “Moscow” cassock is significantly sutured at the waist, so that it fits to the body both from the sides and from the back.

Since the 18th century, the secular clothes of the upper classes have taken on a look completely different from traditional Russian clothes. Gradually, all classes of society began to wear short clothes, often of a European type, so that the robes of the clergy turned out to be in a particularly sharp difference from the secular ones. At the same time, in the 18th century, the everyday clothes of the clergy acquired greater uniformity and stability of cut and color. The monastics began to wear mostly only black cassocks and cassocks of the first type, while in ancient times they often wore green uniforms, and the white clergy narrowed color scheme their clothes.

The general symbolic meaning of the cassock and cassock is evidence of detachment from worldly fuss, a symbol of spiritual peace. Peace and tranquility of the heart in its constant spiritual abiding with God is the highest goal of the efforts of any believer. But especially the clergy and monastics, as those who have devoted their entire lives to serving God, should have as a result of their spiritual activity this inner renunciation of worldly care and fuss, peace and tranquility of the heart. The outer attire of the clergy corresponds to this state, reminds of it, calls to it, helps to achieve it: being the image of the outer garment that the Lord Jesus Christ wore during earthly life, the cassock and cassock mean that the clergy and monastics imitate Jesus Christ, as He and commanded his disciples. The long robe of the clergy is a sign of God's grace, clothing His servants, covering their human infirmities; the cloth or woolen cassock of the monks, girded with a leather belt, is an image of the sackcloth and leather belt, which the preacher of repentance John the Baptist wore in the desert (Matt. 3, 4). The black color of the cassocks and cassocks is especially remarkable: black is, in essence, the absence of color, something that lies outside the light spectrum. When applied to the attire of the clergy and monastics, this means the color of perfect peace as the absence of movements of passion, as it were, spiritual death for sin and renunciation of everything vain, from external, carnal life and focus on invisible life, internal. The daily attire of the clergy is also important for the surrounding believers, as evidence of the spiritual state to which all who seek salvation in God should strive.

The special detachment of monks from the world is indicated by mantle, or paly, - a long, sleeveless, cape with a clasp only on the collar, descending to the ground and covering the cassock and cassock. In early Christian times, this was the clothing of all Christians who converted to the faith from paganism and renounced those titles and ranks that they had in a pagan environment. Such a long cape made of the simplest matter meant renunciation of idol service and humility. Subsequently, it became the property of some monastics. According to the interpretation of St. Herman, Patriarch of Constantinople, a loose, unbelted mantle is a sign of angelic wings, which is why it is called the “angelic image”. The mantle is only a monastic garment. In ancient times in Russia, the monks wore a mantle always and everywhere and did not have the right to leave their cells without it. For entering the city without a mantle, the monks were punished in the 17th century by exile in remote monasteries under strong supervision. Such severity was due to the fact that at that time the monks did not yet have cassocks as mandatory outerwear. They wore single rows with narrow sleeves, so that the mantle was the only outer garment. The monks' robes, like their cassocks and cassocks, are always black.

Clergy and monastics in everyday use have special headdresses. White clergy may wear skufii. In ancient times, skufiya was a small round cap, similar to a bowl without a stand. Since ancient times, in the Western Church and in Russia, clergymen covered the shaved part of the head with such a cap. After being ordained to the priesthood, the proteges immediately shaved their hair on their heads in the form of a circle, which in Russia received the name gumentsó, which meant the sign of the crown of thorns. The shaved part was covered with a small cap, which received the Slavic name also gumenzo, or the Greek - skufiya.

In ancient times, priests and deacons constantly wore a skufi, even at home, taking it off only during worship and before going to bed.

By decree of Emperor Paul I of December 18, 1797, purple skufis and kamilavkas were introduced into church use as awards for white clergy. In the award skufi, the priest can also stay in the church, perform divine services, removing it in the cases provided for by the Charter. Priests can wear such a skufia on a daily basis.

The everyday headdress of bishops and monks, in which they can perform some divine services, is also cowl. This is a headdress consisting of a kamilavka and a cuckoo. Klobuk has been known in the Slavic environment since ancient times. Initially, it was a princely headdress, which was a cap trimmed with fur, with a small veil sewn to it, descending on the shoulders. Such caps with bedspreads were also used by other noble people in Russia, men and women. On ancient icons, Saints Boris and Gleb are often depicted wearing hoods. About hoods, as a princely headdress, there are references in the annals. When the klobuk became the headdress of Russian monks is unknown. In the church environment, he appeared a very long time ago and looked like a deep soft cap made of simple matter with a fur band. The etymology of the verb “to put on” (to put on, put on a headdress low on the forehead, on the ears) goes back to the root klobuk. The cap was covered with a black veil that fell over the shoulders. Such hoods were worn in Russia by both monks and bishops, only among bishops were hoods made of expensive materials and sometimes decorated with precious stones. In the Orthodox East, monastic headdresses had a different look. There, only a veil worn over a hat was considered to be a monastic cukul. The lower part of that coverlet, descending on the back, began to be divided into three ends.

Some Russian saints of antiquity wore white klobuks. Iconography depicts the holy metropolitans Peter, Alexy, Jonah, Philip in such hoods. With the establishment of the patriarchate in Russia in 1589, Russian Patriarchs began to wear white klobuks. At the Council of 1666-1667, all metropolitans were given the right to wear white klobuks. But at the same time, the hoods of the metropolitans did not differ in shape from the monastic hoods of the new (Greek) model (with a solid cylindrical kamilavka), only their “basting” (kukol) became white. And the hoods of the Patriarchs retained the ancient form of a spherical cap, covered with white kukul, the ends of which also differed from the ends of the monastic basting. The three ends of the patriarchal hood begin almost from the cap, two of them descend from the front to the chest, the third to the back. At the top of the patriarchal hood (on the Makovets) a cross began to be supplied, the frontal side of the hood was decorated with icons, and cherubim or seraphim were depicted at the ends of the cukul with gold embroidery.

At present, the hood of the Moscow Patriarch on the frontal side and at the ends of the cockle has images of six-winged Seraphim, in all other respects it is similar to the hoods of the ancient Russian Patriarchs. The white color of the metropolitan and patriarchal hoods means a special purity of thoughts and enlightenment by Divine light, which corresponds to the highest degrees of the church hierarchy, which are called upon to reflect the highest degrees of the spiritual state. In this regard, the hood of the Patriarch with the images of Seraphim indicates that the Patriarch, as the head of the entire Russian Church and a prayer book for her, is likened to the highest angelic ranks closest to God. The shape of the patriarchal klobuk, resembling the dome of a temple with a cross on top, also fully corresponds to the position of the Patriarch as the head of the local Church.

From the end of the 18th - the beginning of the 19th century, the Russian Church established the custom that still exists today to wear diamond crosses for archbishops on black, and for metropolitans on white klobuks. The cross on the headdress is not new. In the ancient Russian and especially Ukrainian church environment, even ordinary priests wore crosses on everyday hats. For priests, this custom ceased at the end of the 17th - beginning of the 18th centuries. Subsequently, diamond crosses on hoods became the insignia of archbishops and metropolitans (bishops wear the usual black monastic hood without a cross). A diamond cross can mean high spiritual perfection and a special firmness of faith and teaching, corresponding to the highest degrees of the church hierarchy.

The modern monastic klobuk is a solid kamilavka in the form of a cylinder, slightly widened upwards, covered with black crepe, descending to the back and ending in the form of three long ends. This crepe is commonly called a basting (or cukul). In the rank of monastic vows under the name klobuk, of course, only crepe, a veil with which a kamilavka is covered. This veil is sometimes called a kukul, just like the veil worn during tonsure into the great schema. In this sense, the klobuk is called the “helmet of the hope of salvation,” and the kukul of the great schema, according to the order of tonsure into the small and great schema, means “the helmet of saving hope.”

This symbolic meaning of monastic veils comes from the words of the Apostle Paul, who says: “But we, being sons of the day, let us be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love and the helmet of the hope of salvation” (1 Thess. 5:8), and in another place : “Stand therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having your feet shod in readiness to preach the gospel of peace; above all, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the fiery arrows of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Eph. 6:14-17). Thus, everyday spiritual, especially monastic, clothes signify by external means those internal qualities that any Christian must possess, called a soldier of Christ at Baptism, since he will have to wage a relentless war against invisible spiritual enemies of salvation.

Monastics of all degrees wear a rosary. This is a prayer object used for frequent reading of the Jesus Prayer. Modern rosary is a closed thread, consisting of a hundred "grains", divided into dozens of intermediate "grains" of larger sizes than ordinary ones. Cell rosaries sometimes contain a thousand "seeds" with the same division. The rosary helps to count (hence their name) the number of prayers that a monk should include in the daily rule, without focusing on the count itself. The rosary has been known since ancient times. In Russia, in the old days they had the form of a closed ladder, consisting not of “grains”, but of wooden blocks sheathed in leather or fabric, and were called “ladder” or “lestovka” (ladder). Spiritually, they mean the ladder of salvation, the “spiritual sword”, they are an image of unceasing (eternal) prayer (a circular thread is a symbol of eternity).

Pectoral Cross

pectoral crosses for priests appeared in the Russian Orthodox Church relatively recently. Until the 18th century, only bishops had the right to wear pectoral crosses. The priest's cross testifies that he is a servant of Jesus Christ, who suffered for the sins of the world, must have Him in his heart and imitate Him. The two-pointed chain of the cross is a sign of the lost sheep, that is, pastoral care for the souls of the parishioners entrusted to the priest, and the cross that Christ carried on His back, as signs of exploits and suffering in earthly life. The cross and the chain are made silver-gilded.

At the beginning of the 19th century, priests began to be awarded crosses with decorations on special occasions. By decree of the Holy Synod of February 24, 1820, Russian priests serving abroad were blessed to wear special golden crosses there, issued from the emperor's office. Such crosses are called office crosses. Sometimes they were issued as a reward to some priests who did not leave Russia.

By a state decree of May 14, 1896, a cross was introduced into church use, which is the distinction of every priest and hieromonk. This cross, which has been laid since then during priestly consecration, is silver, eight-pointed in shape with a relief image of the crucified Savior on the front side and inscriptions in the upper part: “Where, King, Glory” (“The Lord is the King of Glory”); at the ends of the wide crossbar “IC, XC” (“Jesus Christ”), under the lower oblique crossbar - “Nika” ( Greek- victory). On the reverse side of the cross there is an inscription: “Be the image of a faithful word, life, love, spirit, faith, purity (1 Tim. 4, 12). Summer 1896, May 14 days. The cross is equipped with a silver chain of single elongated rings. A jumper in the middle of this circuit is also divided into two parts. The crosses of 1896 have become an indispensable insignia of the priests, which they wear during worship over the chasuble and can be worn in everyday situations over the cassock, and the crosses of 1797 have remained awards, traditionally also granted to all graduates of theological academies who have the dignity of priests.

In addition, in the 19th century, archpriests began to be rewarded with crosses with decorations, similar to bishops' pectoral crosses.

Panagia Bishop's badge.

The first mention of a panagia as an obligatory accessory for a bishop, which is given to him at consecration after the Liturgy, is contained in the writings of Blessed Simeon, Archbishop of Thessalonica (15th century). The 17th-century writer Jacob Goar testifies that after the adoption of the omophorion, the bishops of the Greek Church received a precious cross with the relics of saints, called the encolpion, with the addition of the greeting with the word axios (worthy). The custom of placing an encolpion on a bishop at his consecration passed from the Orthodox East to the Russian Church. But in Russia panagiaras were already in wide use in the form of rectangular reliquaries with images of the Lord Christ, the Mother of God, and saints. Often one reliquary with relics had images of the Holy Trinity, Christ the Almighty, the Mother of God, and saints. There were gilded icons only with images of the Mother of God. Such icons were worn by bishops and archimandrites in the 16th century. Therefore, during the episcopal consecration in Russia since the 17th century, they began to lay a cross. Since it was customary for Russian bishops to wear an icon of the Mother of God or an encolpion reliquary with relics over their robes, the Moscow Cathedral of 1674 allowed Russian metropolitans to wear an “encolpion and a cross” over the sakkos, but only within their diocese. An exception was made for the Metropolitan of Novgorod, who had the right to wear a cross and an encolpion in the presence of the Patriarch.

The Russian Patriarchs, as well as the Kyiv Metropolitans as exarchs, have been wearing two panagias and a cross since the middle of the 17th century.

Over time, the relics of saints ceased to be an obligatory accessory to panagias. Currently, the panagia is an image of the Mother of God, most often round or oval in shape, with various decorations, without relics. Bishops' crosses are now also available without relics. Since 1742, archimandrites of some monasteries have been awarded panagias. In order to distinguish bishops from archimandrites, from the middle of the 17th century, bishops began to put on consecrations of two vestments: a cross and a panagia. In everyday situations, bishops had to wear a panagia, and during worship, a panagia and a cross. This order continues to this day.

The episcopal cross and panagia are signs of the highest authority in the Church. These images spiritually mean the same thing as the altar Cross and the icon of the Mother of God, namely: the dispensation of the salvation of people in the Church is carried out by the grace-filled power of the feat of the Cross of the Son of God Jesus Christ and the intercession of the Mother of God as the Mother of the Church. The episcopal cross and panagia remind us that the bishop must constantly have in his heart the Lord and the Intercessor before Him - the Ever-Virgin Mary, that for this he must have a pure heart and a right spirit, and from an excess of heart purity and truth, his mouth must wear only one good. This is also noted in the prayers recited by the deacon when putting on the bishop the cross, and then the panagia. When putting the cross on the bishop, the deacon says: “But if anyone wants to follow Me, let him deny himself,” the Lord said, “and take up his cross and follow Me, always, now and forever, and forever and ever, amen.” When putting on the first panagia, the deacon says: “God will create a pure heart in you, and renew the right spirit in your womb, always, now, and forever, and forever and ever.” When putting on the second panagia, he says: “May your heart burp the word of goodness, speak of your Tsar’s deeds, always, now, and forever, and forever and ever.”

The episcopal cross and panagia with the image of the Mother of God, which were fully defined in their main features two hundred years ago, appeared, it would seem, by chance, but their symbolism is deeply consistent with the most ancient ideas of the Church about the participation of the Mother of God in the salvation of the world. Only Christ and the Theotokos are addressed with the words “Save us.” The rest of the saints are asked: "Pray to God for us."

The bishop's cross and panagia are worn on chains, which are separated by a jumper, so that the front half of the chain, embracing the neck, descends to the chest and converges on the upper part of the cross or panagia, and rear end descends onto his back. It is impossible not to see in this a repetition of the symbolism of the bishop's omophorion, which also has front and rear ends, signifying the lost sheep, which the good shepherd took for ramen, and the cross that the Lord Christ carried to Golgotha. In the consciousness of the Church, the lost sheep is an image of the nature of fallen humanity, which the Lord Jesus Christ took upon Himself, incarnated in this nature and raised him to Heaven, reckoning him among the unforgotten - among the Angels. This is how Saint Germanus, Patriarch of Constantinople (VIII century), interprets the meaning of the omophorion, and Blessed Simeon, Archbishop of Thessalonica, adds that the crosses on the omophorion are depicted for the sake of “as Christ, on His shoulders, bore His cross; thus, those who want to live in Christ on the shoulder accept their cross, that is, suffering. For the cross is the sign of suffering.” St. Isidore Pelusiot († c. 436-440) emphasizes the idea that “the bishop, in the form of Christ, does His work and shows everyone with his very clothes that he is an imitator of the good and great Shepherd, who took upon Himself the infirmities of the flock.”

The two ends of the chains of the episcopal cross and panagia mark the imitation of the bishop of Christ in pastoral care for the salvation of people - the sheep of the “verbal flock” and in the feat of bearing his cross. The two ends of the chains correspond to the dual nature of the ministry of the archpastor - God and people.

Chains or laces of pectoral crosses of ordinary laymen do not have a back end, since a layman does not have pastoral duties to other people.

In everyday life, bishops wear staves, different from those wands-staves that they use for worship. Bishops' everyday croziers are usually long wooden sticks with a rim and a thickening at the top of carved bone, wood, silver or other metal. Everyday staves have a much older origin than liturgical wands. The liturgical episcopal baton separated from the everyday everyday staff of bishops because, according to canonical rules, bishops and other clergymen are forbidden to adorn themselves with expensive and bright clothes and objects in everyday life. Only during the divine service, where the bishop should show people the image of the glory of the Heavenly King, he dresses in specially decorated robes and headdresses and takes a magnificent staff in his hands.

liturgical robes of a deacon and a priest

The liturgical robes of the clergy have common name- vestments and are divided into deacon's, priestly and bishop's clothes. The priest has all the diaconal robes and, moreover, those inherent in his rank; the bishop has all the priestly robes and, moreover, those assigned to his episcopal rank.

The liturgical robes of the Orthodox clergy are foreshadowed in the Old Testament by the robes of Aaron and other priests, made by the direct command of God (Exodus 28:2; 31:10) and intended only for priestly service, for the glory and splendor of Divine services. They cannot be worn and used in everyday life. Through the prophet Ezekiel, the Lord commands the Old Testament priests, leaving the temple to the outer courtyard to the people, to take off their liturgical vestments and lay them in the barriers of the saints, putting on other clothes (Ezek. 44, 19). In the Orthodox Church, at the end of the service, the vestments are also removed and remain in the temple.

In the New Testament, the Lord Jesus Christ, in the parable of those called to the royal feast, which figuratively tells of the Kingdom of God, speaks of the inadmissibility of entering it without a wedding garment (Matt. 22:11-14). The parable depicts a wedding feast on the occasion of the marriage of the king's son. According to the teaching of the Orthodox Church, marriage, which is often mentioned here and in other similar images in Holy Scripture, is the mysterious marriage of the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ (the Lamb) with His beloved bride, the Church (Rev. 19:7-8). At the same time, the Apocalypse notes that “it was given to her (the wife of the Lamb) to put on linen clean and bright; but the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints.”

Thus, the general symbolic meaning of church service vestments is the expression in visible material garments of spiritual garments of righteousness and purity, in which the souls of believers must be clothed in order to participate in the eternal joy of combining Christ with the Church of His chosen ones.

Historically, liturgical vestments did not appear immediately. In general terms, the canon of liturgical vestments took shape in the 6th century. It is known that until that time the Apostle James, the brother of the Lord, the first bishop of Jerusalem, wore a white linen long garment of Jewish priests and a headband. The Apostle John the Theologian also wore a golden headband as a sign of the high priest. Many believe that the phelonion left by the Apostle Paul at Carp in Troas (2 Tim. 4:13) was his liturgical attire. According to legend, the Theotokos made with her own hands an omophorion for Saint Lazarus, who was raised from the dead by Christ and later became Bishop of Cyprus. Thus, the apostles already used some liturgical robes. Most likely, a tradition from them was preserved in the Church, expressed by the blessed Jerome (4th century), according to which it is by no means unacceptable to enter the altar and perform divine services in common and simply used clothes.

The common attire for all degrees of the priesthood is surplice, or undershirt. This is the most ancient attire in terms of time of origin. The surplice corresponds to the podir of the Old Testament high priests, but acquires a slightly different form and meaning in Christianity.

For deacons and lower clerics, the surplice is an upper liturgical robe with wide sleeves. For priests and bishops, a surplice is an undergarment over which other vestments are put on. Therefore, it has a special name - podraznik.

A surplice is a long garment without a cut in front and behind, with a hole for the head and with wide sleeves. A surplice is also required for subdeacons. The right to wear a surplice can be given to both psalm-readers and laity serving in the temple. The surplice marks the purity of the soul, which the persons of the holy dignity should have.

Priests and bishops is the lower liturgical garment. She is put on a cassock, and other robes are put on her. This vestment has some differences from the surplice. The undershirt is made with narrow sleeves, as they should be worn with handrails. The sleeves of the vest have slits at the ends. A braid or lace is sewn to one of the sides of the incision, so that when dressed with this lace, the lower edge of the undershirt sleeve is tightly pulled together at the wrist. These laces mark the fetters that tied the hands of the Savior, led to judgment. For this reason, there are no stripes on the sleeves of the vest. They are not on the shoulders of the vestment, because his shoulders are covered with outer liturgical clothing (phelonion or sakkos).

Only a cross is sewn on the back of the vest, and on the hem, since it protrudes from under the outer clothing and is visible to everyone, there is the same sewn strip as on the surplice, with the same symbolic meaning. On the sides of the vestment there are the same cuts as on the surplice. Undershirts are made of light fabric and, in accordance with the considered meaning, should be white. Distinctive feature The episcopal vestry can be the so-called gammata - sources, streams in the form of ribbons hanging in front. They mean both the blood flowing from the sores of Christ, and, according to the blessed Simeon, Archbishop of Thessalonica, the teaching grace of the hierarch, and various gifts given to him from above and through him poured out on everyone. The undershirt is worn only during the service of the Liturgy and on some special occasions.

On the left shoulder, over the surplice, the deacons have orarion- a long strip of brocade or other colored material, descending from the front and back almost to the floor. The orarion is reinforced with a loop on a button on the left shoulder of the surplice, so that its ends hang down freely. Taking the lower front end of the orarion in his right hand, the deacon raises it when pronouncing litanies (petitions), overshadows himself with this end with the sign of the cross, points to them in prescribed cases to the priest and bishop the order of liturgical actions. At the Liturgy on “Our Father”, preparing himself for the reception of the Holy Mysteries, the deacon girds himself with the orarion along the Persians (on the chest) so that the orarion first crosses the lower part of the chest, across, passes with two ends under the armpits on the back, crosses crosswise on the back , rising to both shoulders, through the shoulders, the ends of the orarion descend to the chest, cross here also crosswise and pass under that part of the orarion that crossed across the lower part of the chest. Thus, the chest and back of the deacon are covered by the orarion crosswise. After communion, the deacon again ungirds the orarion and hangs it on his left shoulder.

Deacon is the first sacred degree. The orarion, which he almost always wears on one left shoulder, means precisely the grace of the holy order, but only of the first degree of priesthood, which gives the deacon the right to be a minister, but not a performer of the sacraments. However, even this grace of the holy diaconal rank is a yoke and a yoke of work for God and people, it is the bearing of the cross. The symbolic expression of these spiritual truths is contained in the deacon's orarion. On the other hand, the orarion reminds the deacon of the need to imitate the angels in his service and life, always ready for the quick fulfillment of the will of God, preserving integrity and purity, remaining in perfect chastity.

Even now, the words of the angelic chant “Holy, Holy, Holy” are sometimes written on oraries. Most often this inscription is found on the so-called double oraries of protodeacons and archdeacons. This orarion is much wider than the usual, deacon, and has the peculiarity that its middle part passes under the right hand so that one end of the orarion rises through the back to the left shoulder and goes down in front, and the other end passes from under the right hand through the chest up and down the same left shoulder down the back. Such an arrangement of the orarion marks the seniority of protodeacons and archdeacons within the same diaconal rank, which is an image of the seniority of some Angels over others.

On the sleeves of the cassock, and when fully vested - on the sleeves of the cassock, priests and bishops put on handrails, or oversleeves. The deacons put them on the sleeves of the cassock. The handrail is a slightly curved strip of dense material with the image of a cross in the middle, sheathed along the edges with a ribbon of a different shade than the handrail itself. Enclosing the hand in the wrist, the handrail is connected from the inside of the hand with the help of a cord threaded into metal loops on its side edges, and the cord is wrapped around the hand, so that the handrail tightly tightens the sleeve of the cassock or cassock and is firmly held on the hand. In this case, the sign of the cross is on the outside of the hand. The cuffs are worn on both sleeves and signify God's power, strength and wisdom, given to His clergy for the accomplishment of the Divine sacraments. By the sign of the cross, the ensigns mean that it is not the human hands of the clergy, but the Lord Himself who performs the sacraments through them with His Divine power. This meaning of handrails is reflected in the prayers when putting them on to serve the Liturgy. For the right hand it reads: “Thy right hand, Lord, be glorified in the fortress, Your right hand, Lord, crush the enemies and with the multitude of Your glory erased this adversary.” This prayer also contains the idea that the instructions, as a sign of the power of God, protect the clergyman from demonic wiles during the performance of the sacraments. For the left hand it reads: “Thy hands create me and create me, give me understanding and learn your commandment.”

The history of the origin of the handrails is as follows. There were no handrails in the original Church. Since ancient times, the narrow sleeves of the imitation (cassock) and cassock were decorated with a special trim in the form of two or three stripes that covered the edges of the sleeves. At the same time, a cross was sometimes depicted between these stripes. Church authors of antiquity do not find interpretations of this decoration. Handrails first appeared as an item of clothing for Byzantine kings. They decorated and tightened the sleeves of the underwear, protruding from under the wide sleeves of the sakkos - the upper royal vestments. Wishing to honor the patriarchs of their capital throne of Constantinople with a special honor, the emperors began to grant them items of royal vestments. Byzantine kings granted the patriarchs wands, the right to depict a double-headed eagle on shoes and carpets. In the 11th-12th centuries, the hierarchs of Constantinople received sakkos and hand-rails from the kings; then the instructions passed to the primates of other Orthodox Churches, to the most prominent eastern metropolitans and bishops. Somewhat later, the orders passed to the priests. Blessed Simeon, Archbishop of Thessalonica (XII century), writes about instructions as necessary accessories priestly and episcopal vestments. In the 14th-15th centuries, ensigns as a reward first appeared for some archdeacons, and then for all deacons. Ancient handrails were often richly decorated with gold and silver embroidery, pearls, sometimes they depicted a deisis, an icon of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Mother of God, John the Baptist, sometimes they did not have any images. In the future, the only image on the handrails becomes the cross - a sign of the power of the cross, communicated to the servant of the throne of God. The symbolism of the handrails thus reaches its completion in the 16th-17th centuries. With the advent of handrails on the sleeves of the cassock and cassock, stripes and crosses were no longer sewn on. The handguards, as an object external to the sleeves, clearly showed evidence that the power and wisdom in performing the sacraments and services does not belong to the clergyman himself, but is given to him from outside, from God. This is the dogmatic meaning of the change that has taken place in the symbolism of the sleeves. Blessed Simeon, Archbishop of Thessalonica, attaches to the orders, in addition to the sign of God's power and wisdom, the meaning of the image of the fetters with which the hands of the Savior, led to judgment, were bound. When the cuffs are put on a cassock or undershirt without cords on the sleeves, they really acquire this meaning as well. When they are put on a vestment, the sleeves of which are already pulled together with a cord-the image of the bonds of Christ, only their first meaning remains behind the instructions - the power and wisdom of God, performing the sacraments.

The surplice, orarion and handrails are the vestments of the deacon. Other liturgical robes belong to the robes of the priestly rank.

Starting from the 15th century, the bishop, consecrating a deacon to the priesthood, went around his neck with a deacon's orarion, so that both ends evenly descended down the chest down to the hem, and at the same time connected one with the other. It turned out stole- the garment of priests and bishops. (The word epitrachelion in Greek is male, but in Russian books it was used in the feminine form.) This is exactly what bishops did, starting from the 15th century, consecrating a deacon to the priesthood. The epitrachelion formed from the orarion meant that the priest, without losing the grace of the diaconal rank, acquires double, in comparison with the deacon, special grace, giving him the right and duty to be not only a minister, but also a performer of the Sacraments of the Church and the whole work of the priesthood. This is not only a double grace, but also a double yoke, a yoke.

In later times (approximately from the 16th-17th centuries), stole was made not from deacon's orarion, but especially, for ease of wearing. In the part that covers the neck, the stole is curly and narrow, so that this part can comfortably fit the collar of the cassock or cassock. At the consecration of a deacon as a presbyter, the bishop no longer wraps the orarion around the neck of the initiate, but immediately places a ready-made epitrachelion on him. The separation of the stole from the orarion, however, does not abolish the meaning of the stole as an orarion connected in front. Therefore, at present, the stole is sewn in such a way that it consists of two separate strips in front, connected only in a few places where conditional buttons are placed, since there are no loops, the buttons are planted in those places where the stole halves are simply sewn to one another. But the epitrachelion is not sutured along the entire length, with rare exceptions. The diaconal orarion, as a rule, has seven crosses sewn on it to commemorate the fact that the deacon is the minister of all the seven Sacraments of the Church, and the priest performs six Sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, Repentance, Communion, Marriage, Consecration of the Unction. The Sacrament of the Priesthood has the right to perform only the bishop. When the orarion is bent around the neck, the cross in its middle part is on the back of the neck, and the other six are located opposite each other on both halves of the orarion connected in front. In the same way, the signs of the cross are also sewn onto the stole, so that in front it has three pairs of crosses on both of its halves, which indicates that the priest performs the six Sacraments of the Church. The seventh sign of the cross, located on the neck of the priest, means that he received his priesthood from the bishop and is subject to him, as well as that he bears the yoke (yoke) of service to Christ, who redeemed the human race by the feat on the cross.

The priest can perform all divine services and rites only in the stole, which is superimposed over the cassock, and when fully vested over the vestment, as always happens during the service of the Liturgy and in some special cases .

phelonion(in everyday life - a chasuble) is the upper liturgical attire of priests and, in some cases, bishops. In plural the word “chasuble” means all vestments in general, but the singular form implies a phelonion.

This garment is very ancient. The phelonion in ancient times was a cape made of a long rectangular piece of woolen fabric and served to protect against cold and bad weather. It was worn on both shoulders, with the front ends pulled together on the chest, and over one shoulder; sometimes a cutout for the head was made in the middle of this cloak, and a phelonion put on the shoulders covered the whole body of a person with its long ends in front and behind. At the same time, among the Jews, the edges of the phelonion were sometimes decorated with cassocks or omets - a trim made of sewn lace; and along the very edge of this decoration, so-called cracks were sewn - a blue cord with tassels or fringe as a sign of the constant remembrance of the commandments and the Law, which was led by God Himself (Num. 15, 37-40). The phelonion was worn by the Lord Jesus Christ in His earthly life. This is confirmed by ancient icons, where the Savior is almost always depicted in a cloak, sometimes worn on both shoulders, and sometimes over one shoulder. Perhaps it is the phelonion-cloak that the Evangelist means when he says that at the Last Supper the Lord, about to wash the feet of the disciples, took off His outer garments. The apostles also wore the phelonion, as evidenced by the Apostle Paul (2 Tim. 4:13). Many believe that it was his liturgical garment. In any case, even if the Lord and the apostles used the phelonion only as an ordinary outer garment of those times, in the minds of the Church it acquired a sacred meaning for this very reason and began to be used as a liturgical vestment from the deepest antiquity.

The shape of the phelonion changed. For the convenience of wearing in front of the hem, a larger or smaller semicircular cutout began to be made, that is, the front hem of the phelonion no longer reached the feet. Over time, the upper shoulders of the phelonion began to be made firm and high, so that the rear upper edge of the phelonion in the form of a truncated triangle or trapezoid now began to rise above the shoulders of the clergyman.

On the back, in the upper part of the phelonion, under the shoulder strip, just as on the surplice, and for the same reasons, the sign of the cross is placed. And at the bottom of the dorsal part of the phelonion, closer to the hem, an eight-pointed star is sewn on the same line with the cross. The eight-pointed star in the Christian view means the eighth century - the onset of the Kingdom of Heaven, new land and the new heaven, since the earthly history of mankind has seven periods - seven centuries. Thus, in two brief symbols - the cross and the eight-pointed star, the beginning and end of the salvation of mankind in Christ Jesus are indicated on the phelonion. These symbols can also mean the Nativity of Christ (a star over Bethlehem) and His feat of the Cross. However star of bethlehem contains in itself the sign of the future age, for with the coming of the Son of God in the flesh to people “the kingdom of heaven has drawn near.” The star and the cross on the phelonion also signify the union in the Orthodox Church of the grace of the priesthood of the Old (star) and New (cross) Testaments.

Containing many lofty spiritual concepts, the phelonion in its general appearance primarily means the radiance of Divine glory and the strength of Divine light, clothing the clergy, the robe of righteousness and spiritual joy. Therefore, in the prayer, when putting on the phelonion, it reads: “Thy priests, O Lord, will be clothed in righteousness, and Your saints will always rejoice with joy, now and ever, and forever and ever. Amen” (Ps. 131:9). The concepts of Divine light, righteousness, joy, as a wealth of spiritual gifts and feelings, make it possible for felons to be not only white. Phelonies are made of gold and silver brocade, which especially emphasizes the importance of the radiance of glory, as well as of other primary colors used in worship for vestments. Starting from the 18th century, black phelonions with white stripes are put on during Great Lent, in this case being a sign of rags and sackcloth, in which the Savior was dressed when he was desecrated.

Epitrachelion, handrails and phelonion make up a small priestly vestment, in which all evening and morning services and rites are served, except for the Liturgy. When serving the Liturgy, as well as in certain cases provided for by the Charter, the priest puts on full vestments. The basis of a full vestment is a vestment. On top of it, an epitrachelion, handrails, a belt, a gaiter, a club, a phelonion are put on in succession. At the same time, the legguard and club, being awards to the clergy, may not be available to all priests and are not among the mandatory items of vestments.

Belt, worn over a vest and stole, is a not very wide strip of matter with trim in the form of stripes of a different color or shade along the edges, in the middle it has an sewn sign of the cross. At both ends of the belt there are ribbons with which it is tied at the back, on the lower back.

From ancient times to the present day, a tightly tied belt, as an item of attire for workers and warriors, was used to give the body strength and strength. Hence, and as a symbolic object in religious and secular use, the belt has always meant certain concepts of strength, strength, power, or readiness for service. The psalmist the prophet David says: “The Lord hath reigned, clothed in splendor, the Lord hath clothed himself in strength and girded himself.” Here, as in many other places of Holy Scripture, the Divine power is symbolically indicated by a belt, a girdling. Christ, girded with a long towel and washing the feet of His disciples, gives by this an image of His service to people. And about His service to the faithful in the future age of the Kingdom of Heaven, the Lord Jesus Christ speaks figuratively: “He will gird himself, and will seat them, and, coming, will begin to serve them” (Lk. 12:37). The Apostle Paul admonishes Christians, saying: “Stand therefore, having your loins girded with truth” (Eph. 6:14). In these words, the concept of the spiritual strength of truth is connected with the concept of serving God in the spirit of truth.

The gaiter is an oblong rectangular board on a long ribbon - the first award in turn for zealous service to the Church.

Gaiter archimandrites, abbots and priests are awarded. Symbolically, the rectangular shape of the cuisse means the Four Gospels, which is in full agreement with the concept of the spiritual sword, which is the word of God.

Clothing of the clergy

The clergyman is easy to recognize even in the most crowded crowd - by special clothes. The clothes of the clergy are very different from the things we wear. She singles them out from the environment of worldly people and, as it were, “tells” us - before you there is no

a common person. For the clergy, their clothes are a constant reminder that they must always, in any situation, be worthy of the highest service they have received from God.

The clothes of deacons, priests and bishops are not subject to fashion - they are sewn according to strict canons and have not changed for hundreds of years. All church clothes have their own history and are deeply symbolic, therefore they are basically unchanged.

The robes of the clergy are everyday and liturgical. In the Church, clothes are usually called vestments, from the word “clothe” - to dress. But vestments are, in fact, liturgical garments. In addition to them, there are ordinary, everyday clothes.

Clothes for every day

Cassock, cassock and skufya(or skufeika) replace everyday clothes for the clergy.

Cassock- this is a long, to the toe, underwear with a tightly buttoned collar and narrow sleeves.

cassock- outerwear with long, below the palms, wide sleeves. The word "cassock" in Greek means "worn, devoid of lint, worn." It was precisely such, almost beggarly clothes, that the monks in the Ancient Church were supposed to wear. Later, from the monastic environment, the cassock entered the wardrobe of all the clergy.

AT Everyday life clergymen wear special headdresses called skufia (Greek"head cover"). This is a soft pointed folding cap that covers the head up to the eyebrows. It is sewn in such a way that its folds form a symbolic cross.

A priest in a vestment blesses the deacon to vest

The cassock and cassock resemble the clothes of the Savior, which he wore in earthly life. These garments signify that the clergy and monastics imitate His life.

In addition, the priests of the Orthodox Church must wear a large PRIESTLY CROSS. Priestly cross - an eight-pointed cross with a relief image of the crucified Savior on the front side and inscriptions in the upper part: "Where, King, Glory" ("The Lord is the King of Glory"); at the ends of the wide crossbar - "IC, XC" ("Jesus Christ"); under the lower oblique crossbar - "Nika", which in Greek means "winner".

The cross testifies that the priest is a servant of Jesus Christ, who suffered for the sins of the world, and must have Him in his heart and imitate Him.

In addition to the usual silver ones, there are gilded crosses (they are worn by archpriests) and crosses with decorations - the priests are awarded the right to wear them for special merits.

What are the monks wearing?

The monks have a somewhat larger mandatory wardrobe than the "white" clergy. In addition to the cassock and cassock, they are supposed to wear mantle(or pale)- a long, sleeveless, black cape with a clasp at the collar. The mantle covers the cassock and cassock and denotes the special detachment of the monks from the world.

The everyday headdress of bishops and monks, in which they can also perform some divine services, is HOOD. The monastic hood is a solid kamilavka in the form of a cylinder, slightly expanded upwards. It is covered with black crepe that goes down the back and ends with three long ends.

Metropolitans wear a white hood with a sewn cross. And the hoods of the patriarchs are white or black with a cross on the pommel and embroidered images of Seraphim and crosses. The shape of the patriarchal klobuk, resembling the dome of a temple with a cross on top, corresponds to the position of the patriarch - the head of the local Church. The white color of the metropolitan and patriarchal hoods means a special purity of thoughts and enlightenment by Divine light.

During non-liturgical hours, bishops wear STAFF - d long wooden canes with a frame and a thickening at the top. Staves are also given to archimandrites and abbots - the heads of monasteries.

Monastics of all degrees wear ROSARY - a closed thread of a hundred "grains", divided into dozens of "grains" of larger sizes. The rosary is needed so that the monk is not distracted by counting the prayers set for him by the rule, but focuses on their essence.

liturgical vestments

Divine services are performed by clergymen in special clothes called vestments. Priests put on special robes in order to separate themselves during the service not only from others, but also from themselves - ordinary people engaged in daily affairs. Dressing in this way, they become similar in appearance to the holy apostles and their closest successors.

Before the divine service, while vesting, the clergy read special prayers prescribed by the charter, in which the symbolic meaning of sacred garments is revealed.

The liturgical vestments of the clergy have a common name - vestments and are divided into diaconal, priestly and hierarchal.

The priest has all the diaconal robes plus those inherent in his dignity. Bishop - all priestly vestments plus those inherent in his episcopal rank.

At the end of the service, the vestments are removed and left in the temple.

Vestments of deacons

The deacon's vestments consist of a surplice, orarion and handrails.

Surplice- long, spacious outerwear made of heavy material with wide sleeves and slits on the sides. The surplice symbolizes the garment of salvation.

orarion(from the Latin “pray” and the Greek “storage”, “care for the souls of believers”) - a long narrow ribbon that a deacon wears on his left shoulder during Divine Services. Without an orarion, a deacon cannot take part in a church service. According to the interpretation of the holy fathers, the orarion symbolizes angel wings, since the deacons personify the image of angelic ministry.

Handrails- short sleeves that pull together the wide sleeves of the cassock. Handrails are an integral part of both deacon and priestly and episcopal vestments. Wearing handrails means that not human hands, but the Lord Himself through them, through His Divine power, performs the sacraments.

Vestments of priests

In addition to deacon robes - a surplice (for priests it is called underwear) and a handrail, the priest is also given an epitrachelion, a belt, a cuisse, a phelonion and a cross.

Undershirt priests and bishops - this is the lower liturgical clothing. It differs from the deacon's surplice in that it is sewn from white silk and has narrow sleeves with laces at the ends, which are tightly tightened at the wrist. The white color of the vestment means the purity of the soul and corresponds to the heavenly clothes of Angels and people, and also reminds of the white robes of the Transfigured Christ.

Stole (from Greek"collar") - a strip of fabric hugging the neck, fastened in front and going down with two ends. Without an epitrachelion, a priest cannot perform a single service. Epitrachelion denotes a double (compared with a deacon), special grace, which gives him the right and duty to be not only a minister, but also a performer of the Sacraments of the Church.

Belt- a short and wide ribbon, which girdles the vestry during worship. The belt symbolizes the girdling of the Lord Jesus Christ before the Last Supper and means the Divine power that strengthens the clergyman.

Phelony or chasuble- upper priestly clothing: wide, long, sleeveless, with a hole for the head and a large cutout in front for the hands. On the back at the top

the phelonion, as well as on the deacon's sticharade, is placed the sign of the cross. Below, under the cross, an eight-pointed star is sewn, which means the coming of the Kingdom of Heaven, a new heaven and a new earth. In these symbols - the cross and the eight-pointed star - the beginning and end of the salvation of mankind in Christ are indicated. The phelonion symbolizes the scarlet garment that the Roman soldiers dressed Jesus Christ in during the trial of Him by Pilate. Felons are sewn from gold and silver brocade, which symbolizes the radiance of the Glory of the Lord.

Gaiter- a quadrangular oblong board on a long ribbon, decorated with a cross. The priest wears it on his right side. The gaiter - the first award of the priest, symbolizes the "spiritual sword", which for the clergy is the word of God - the Gospel.

Mace- a quadrangular board, hung at one corner on the right thigh. The club in the form of a rhombus is also a symbol of the Gospel.

The gaiter, like the club, being awards, are not among the mandatory items of clergymen's vestments.

Some priests wear during worship purple kamilavka- the third award of the priest after the cuisse and scufi.

Vestments of Bishops

In addition to priestly robes - a vestment, stole, handrails and belts - bishops also put on sakkos, omophorion, mace, panagia, miter and mantle.

Sakkos Outwardly, it resembles a deacon's surplice shortened at the bottom and in the sleeves.

The oldest episcopal vestment is omophorion- a wide long strip of matter with the image of crosses. It is put on the shoulders of the bishop so that it goes around both shoulders and with one end descends from the left shoulder in front, and with the other end from the same shoulder at the back. The ends of the omophorion descend almost to the hem of the sakkos.

The headdress of bishops during divine services is miter- richly decorated with embroidery, precious stones and miniature icons, a high solid "hat". Mithra symbolizes the crown of thorns of the Savior. The miter also serves as a reward for the most deserving archpriests.

During solemn processions and ceremonies, the bishop enters the temple in episcopal mantle purple. In the church, the bishop takes off his mantle and puts on liturgical robes. In cut, the bishop's mantle is similar to the monastic mantle, but much wider and longer.

Bishop's insignia panagia with the image of the Mother of God. From the Greek "panagia" is translated as "all-holy". This is an image of the Mother of God of a round or oval shape with numerous decorations. In everyday situations, bishops wear only a panagia, and during worship, a panagia and a cross. The episcopal cross and panagia are signs of the highest authority in the Church and remind that the bishop must have the Lord and the Mother of God in his heart, and therefore he must have a pure heart and a right spirit. In everyday life, the bishop wears a panagia as a servant of the Mother of God, a representative of Her authority on earth.

In hierarchal worship, the baton, eagle, ripids, dikiriyas and trikiriyas are also used.

Wand- This is a richly decorated staff that the bishop wears during worship. The rod is a sign of the highest pastoral authority.

Orlets- a round rug with the image of an eagle, on which the bishop stands during the service.

Ripids- metal circles fixed on long handles with the image of six-winged Seraphim. The Ripids remind the faithful that holy angels are invisibly present in the temple during the liturgy.

Dikyriy- a portable candlestick with two candles, which symbolize the two natures of Jesus Christ (divine and human). The hierarch blesses the people with dikirium during the divine service.

Trikiriy- a portable candlestick with three candles, which symbolize the three hypostases of the Holy Trinity.

The colors of liturgical vestments and their symbols

Anyone who has attended an Orthodox service at least once will certainly pay attention to the beauty and solemnity of the vestments of the clergy.

The colors of the vestments are made up of all the colors of the rainbow: red, yellow, orange, green, blue, indigo, violet; their totality is white, and the opposite of white is black. Each color symbolizes the spiritual meaning of the event in honor of which the divine service is performed and corresponds to a certain group of holidays or fasting days.

White the color that combines all the colors of the rainbow is a symbol of Divine light. In white vestments they serve on the great feasts of the Nativity of Christ, Theophany, Ascension, Transfiguration, Annunciation. In white vestments, as a rule, they perform the rite of burial of the dead, since for a Christian death is only a transition to another world. Paschal Matins also begins in them as a sign of the Divine light that shone from the Tomb of the Risen Savior.

In some churches, it is customary on Easter morning to change vestments on each of the eight songs of the canon, so that the priest each time appears in robes of a different color. The play of colors is very much in keeping with this "celebration of triumphs".

Red color, following white, continues the Easter service. They also serve in red vestments throughout the following Bright Week. It is a symbol of God's love for the human race. But it is also the color of blood, and therefore services in honor of the holy martyrs are held in red or crimson vestments.

Yellow (gold) and Orange are royal colors. In the vestments of these colors they serve on holidays in honor of the Lord Jesus Christ and on Sundays, since Sunday is dedicated to the Lord - the King of Glory. In golden robes, the Church also celebrates the days of His special anointed ones - prophets, apostles and saints.

Blue or blue- the color of the holidays of the Most Holy Theotokos, symbolizing special purity and purity. It is also the color of the sky, therefore, in the vestments of these colors they serve on holidays in honor of the angelic forces.

Green color - a fusion of yellow and blue. It was adopted in the days of the saints, ascetics and holy fools and testifies that their monastic feat revived a person by union with Christ (yellow color) and elevates him to heaven (blue). In green colors of all shades, according to ancient tradition, they serve on Palm Sunday, on the day of the Holy Trinity and on the Monday of the Holy Spirit.

Violet color adopted in the days of the memory of the Cross of the Lord. It seems to combine red, the color of the blood of Christ, and blue, indicating that the Cross opened the way to heaven for us.

Black or dark brown the color is closest in spirit to the days of Great Lent. It is a symbol of renunciation of worldly fuss, the color of weeping and repentance.