What do the colors and shapes of domes on Orthodox churches mean. How many domes do temples have and what domes are

Why are domes erected on Orthodox churches? Is this done only in Russia or in all Orthodox countries? How many domes should a temple have and how many can never be? What are their shapes and what color can they be painted? Let's talk!

Why do temples need domes?

The domes of Orthodox churches as we know them now are a matter of tradition only. In the sense that it happened this way: temples should have domes. And, it happened to us. In Orthodox Greece, for example, many churches are being built without the usual domes.

Here, for example, is a church on the island of Corfu: typical Orthodox Greek architecture.

Like this temple: also Greece

Then what is the meaning of the domes for the temple, if they are not built everywhere, and why do the temple need them?

Initially, a dome is just one of the types of vault that a building can have. For example, this design would be ideal to cover large spaces when supporting columns need to be avoided. This type of overlap has been known since ancient times. Even before Christianity, domes were erected in religious and important buildings for the state - in short, where a large number of people gathered: to celebrate something or to celebrate a religious ceremony.

Over time, domes have become directly associated with "sacred" buildings. In the Christian tradition, the domed vault immediately began to symbolize the heavenly world, eternity, the universe. Moreover, symbolism almost immediately became the main side of the dome, since in most temples (in those countries and cultures where it was used) the dome did not and does not have a constructive meaning and was simply a “crowning” of the structure.

Look: Hagia Sophia in Constantinople (now it is a mosque). It was built as an Orthodox church in the 6th century, but retained the "original" approach to the dome - as a full-fledged vault.

And here is Moscow. The dome is small, "symbolic". The role of the vault is played by the roof-floor.

The fact that the dome can play a “symbolic” rather than a constructive role has developed historically. For example, in Russia: the first temples themselves were almost all made of wood and were made in the technique of a classical log house, so it was structurally illogical and impractical to cover them with large domes. The dome no longer played the role of a "roof", but simply towered over the temple. Therefore, it is more correct to call them not domes, but chapters or "chapters".

This is not an ancient temple, but a modern one: in, but it well illustrates what was said about the domes of wooden temples:

And here is an example of the design of the temple, when the dome, on the contrary: it really plays a constructive role. Moscow. Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary near Prechistenka. The dome covers the entire chapel, although a small turret is still placed above it, which is crowned with an "onion".

Or in Kubinka near Moscow. Also: a large vault in the shape of a dome and a smaller “onion” above it.

Or the main cathedral of the St. John the Theologian Monastery in Moscow. Not the most pronounced, perhaps, an example, but nevertheless:

Domes have indeed become an integral part of the Russian tradition. Moreover, our domes are characterized by the shape of the "onion". Someone sees in this a reminder of a burning candle. Maybe. But initially, such symbolism was not invested in the onion shape of the dome - it was just a beautiful form that would harmoniously complete the image of the temple.

Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra in Moscow

How many domes does a temple have?

Generally speaking, as much as you like - in the sense that there are no dogmas or formulated laws on this matter. The number of domes is determined by the architectural concept of the temple. Another thing is that in the Christian tradition, symbolic meaning or associations are stored behind some numbers, and therefore the number of domes in the vast majority of cases is limited to the following number:

• one dome symbolizes the One God
• three domes symbolize the Holy Trinity
• five domes- Savior and four evangelists
• seven domes remind of the seven sacraments of the Church
• Very rare: nine domes symbolize the nine angelic
• Even rarer: 13 domes- Jesus Christ and his twelve apostles
• Surely there is a temple with 33 cupolas: according to the number of years of the Savior's earthly life.

Dome colors: what are they?

What should be the color of the dome in the Church, this is also not determined by any rules or canons. That is, it can be any (at St. Basil's Cathedral on Red Square, they are generally colorful), but again - traditionally, domes in the Russian tradition are like this:

Gilding- one of the most common ways to decorate the cupola. There is no symbolic load here: it is just very beautiful, majestic.

blue domes(most often - with stars). Such domes crown churches dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. And the stars remind of the Nativity of Christ from the Virgin Mary.

green domes. In general, in our Church tradition, green is a symbol of the Trinity or the Holy Spirit. But in the case of domes, there is no such direct relationship. Here, for example, is the church of St. Nicholas in, next to the Lenin Library metro station in Moscow.

And finally: black domes. Someone says that they symbolize monasticism and are found in monastic churches, but this is not so. There are enough city, "parish" churches with black cupolas. For example, the Old Believer Church of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos in Turchaninov Lane - which is a stone's throw from the Park Kultury metro station.

Copper domes become even black over time: over the years, copper acquires a very beautiful black color.

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According to the opinion of the commission on art history under the Moscow Patriarchate: the dome symbolizes the sky. Usually in Russia the domes were gilded, which indicated the divine light of glory.

Gold is a symbol of heavenly glory. Golden domes were at the main temples and at the temples dedicated to Christ and the Twelve Feasts;

Blue domes with stars crown churches dedicated to the Mother of God, because the star recalls the birth of Christ from the Virgin Mary;

Trinity churches had green domes, because green is the color of the Holy Spirit;

Temples dedicated to saints are often crowned with green or silver domes;

Black domes are found in monasteries - this is the color of monasticism;

The intricate shape and bright coloring of the domes on St. Basil's Cathedral (Moscow) speaks of the beauty of Heavenly Jerusalem.

The shape of the dome also matters. The shape of the bulb at the dome is a symbol of the flame of a candle, referring to the words of Christ: "You are the light of the world." The helmet-like shape of the dome reminded of the host, of the spiritual warfare waged by the Church against the forces of evil and darkness.

It is worth noting that all this is not a dogma, but only a tradition, not always and not always observed.

To the above, you can add the number of domes (domes) and the color of the temple building itself, which can reflect its dedication - to the Lord, the Mother of God, to some saint or holiday. For example:

White - a temple consecrated in honor of the Transfiguration or Ascension of the Lord;

Blue - in honor of the Most Holy Theotokos;

Red - dedicated to the martyr(s);

Green - to the reverend;

Yellow - to the saint.

The number of domes on temples has the following meaning:

1 - symbolizes the One God;

2 - two domes are built in honor of two natures in the Lord Jesus Christ;

3 - Holy Trinity;

5 - Savior and four evangelists;

7 - seven sacraments of the Church;

9 - corresponds to the number of angelic ranks;

13 - symbolizes the Savior and the twelve apostles;

33 - corresponds to the number of years of the Savior's earthly life.

HISTORY OF THE APPEARANCE OF DOMES

Dome (Italian Cupola - domes, vault, from Latin cupula, diminutive of cupa - barrel) - a spatial, supporting structure of the coating, in shape close to a hemisphere or other surface of rotation of the curve.

The main thing in the temple is the domes. They receive special attention and respect. The dome can be of different shapes, colors, and has a different number of domes. All characteristics have their symbolic meaning.

The history of domes began in prehistoric times. Domes began to be built during the Roman architectural revolution, when they began to be used in the construction of temples and large public buildings. It is believed that the oldest dome currently in existence is located in the Roman Pantheon, built around 128 AD. Later, the tradition of dome building was adopted by Byzantine religious and religious architecture.

Russian art since the tenth century. and until the end of the 17th century it was inextricably linked with the Church and the Christian faith. The first city in Russia to be baptized was Kyiv. Divine service in the great Orthodox church of Byzantium - the church of Hagia Sophia in the city of Constantinople influenced the ambassadors of Prince Vladimir of Kyiv. “We don’t know whether we were in heaven or on earth, for there is no such kind and such beauty on earth ... » It was this experience of beauty as holiness that became the basis of the new art on Russian soil. Byzantine craftsmen built many temples in the traditions of Byzantine architecture.

DOME SHAPE

It is known that domes, or rather domes over temples, are helmet-shaped, onion-shaped, pear-shaped and cone-shaped.

Helmet-shaped coatings most often called a specific form of dome coverings, close to the shape of the ancient Russian helmet. The helmet-shaped form is a symbol of the host, the spiritual warfare waged by the Church against the forces of evil and darkness.

The Byzantine Empire gave Russia the ability to build temples. But young Christian Russia by no means felt like a timid student. Russian architecture, created by Russian masters, brought its own findings, original ideas into the construction practice and became a new embodiment of Christian art. After analyzing the drawings of the temples, you can see that the shape of the dome is also changing. Already in the 11th century. domes resemble a military helmet.

bulb dome has a convex shape, smoothly tapering at the top, similar to an onion. Most often, such domes are used in Russia, Turkey, India and the Middle East. The shape of the bulb is a symbol of the flame of a candle, the victory of light forces. An Orthodox church, symbolizing the earth, with a dome symbolizing the sky, is interpreted as a model of the universe, which, according to religious beliefs, is the creation of God. To heaven, believers direct their thoughts to God. Therefore, the "bulbous" shape of the dome was not chosen by chance. It resembles a flame sharpening upwards, a burning candle, which is lit during a prayer addressed to God. This shape of the dome symbolizes spiritual uplift and striving for perfection. The shape of the bulb is a symbol of the flame of a candle, referring us to the words of Christ: "You are the light of the world." In A. V. Borodin's textbook "Fundamentals of Orthodox Culture" it is written that the cupolas of temples are in the form of a candle or a helmet. This is also not accidental, such a form, as it were, connects the meanings: the burning of Orthodox hearts and military protection

"Our domestic bulb embodies the idea of ​​a deep prayer burning to heaven, through which our earthly world becomes involved in otherworldly wealth. This is the completion of the Russian temple - like a fiery tongue crowned with a cross and sharpening to the cross."

E.N. Trubetskoy

It is this idea of ​​fiery, burning that is emphasized by the gilding of domes, which is so widespread in Russia.

oval domes are part of baroque architecture. The first baroque oval dome was built by Giacomo da Vignola for the church of Sant'Andrea in Via Flamida in 1553. The largest oval dome was built in Vicoforte by the architect Francesco Gallo.

Umbrella domes divided into segments by ribs radiating from the center to the base of the dome.

Horizontal sections polygonal domes are polygons. One of the most famous examples of such domes is the octagonal dome of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence, built by Filippo Brunelleschi.

Tent. A tent in architecture is the completion of towers, temples in the form of a tetrahedral or octahedral pyramid. A new page in the history of medieval Russian architecture The liberation from the Horde yoke stimulated a new upsurge in architecture. By this time, another national type of temple had developed. The dome system characteristic of Byzantium was transformed into a pointed top of the tower. In this, one can feel the undoubted influence of defensive architecture, a typical example of which is Pskov with its powerful towers, devoid of any decorations and serving as protection against enemy attacks. With the especially obvious power of walls, masonry, narrow loopholes, windows, the harmony of forms emphasizes their harmony and grace. The geometric shape of the octagonal tent, in plan forming a similarity to the eight-pointed Star of Bethlehem, allows us to interpret such temples as the image of the Mother of God, to whom the numbers 8 and 9 symbolically correspond. And this is no coincidence. The tent on the bell tower is preserved as a symbol of the good news and, of course, the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos. Bell towers of a tiered structure were also built (the bell tower of the Moscow Novodevichy Convent).

dome-saucer lower than other types of domes. Such a dome, it turns out, is not visible from the outside, but inside it creates a feeling of increased space. These domes were used in the construction of Byzantine churches and Ottoman mosques.

NUMBER OF DOMES

According to church symbols, the dome indicates to Christians the need to strive from the earthly to the heavenly. Orthodox churches are built with an odd number of domes. The number of domes of the temple reveals in numerical symbolism the hierarchy of the dispensation of the heavenly church. The different number of domes, or domes, at the temple building is determined by the one to whom they are dedicated.

One-domed temple the dome marks the unity of God, the perfection of creation. Single-domed churches were built most often in the pre-Mongolian era and were a symbol of the One God and the perfection of creation (the Church of the Intercession on the Nerl, the Church of the Holy Spirit in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, the Demetrius Cathedral in Vladimir, the Kazan Church). Sometimes bell towers or aisles and two domes were attached to them, then they symbolized the two natures of the Lord Jesus Christ - Divine and human (the Church of St. John of the Ladder in the Moscow Kremlin).

double-headed temple two domes symbolize the two natures of the God-man Jesus Christ, two areas of creation (angelic and human).

Three-headed temple three domes symbolize the Holy Trinity, they may not always be Trinity (for example, St. George's Cathedral of the Yurievsky Monastery in the Great

Four-domed temple. four domes symbolize the Four Gospels, the four cardinal directions.

five-domed temple five domes, one of which rises above the rest, symbolize Christ as the Head of the Church, and the four evangelists. Five-domed churches were widely spread in Russia, and their construction was carried out both in antiquity and in our days. One of the domes, as a rule, rises above the rest, which symbolizes Jesus Christ and the four evangelists. Sometimes the initially five-domed cathedral after perestroika could turn into a six-domed one (St. Sophia Cathedral in Novgorod), however, as well as appear from the earlier three-domed cathedral. The reasons for such reconstructions were, as a rule, dilapidation and fire. Five-domed churches have been built in recent times, such as, for example, the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, recently revived in Moscow.

Seven-domed temple seven domes symbolize the seven Sacraments of the Church, the seven Ecumenical Councils, the seven virtues.

Nine-domed temple nine domes are associated with the image of the heavenly Church, consisting of nine ranks of angels and nine ranks of the righteous.

thirteen-domed temple

thirteen domes symbolize Jesus Christ and the twelve apostles.

twenty five chapters may be a sign of the apocalyptic vision of the throne of the Holy Trinity and twenty-four elders (Rev. 11, 15-18) or denote praise to the Most Holy Theotokos, depending on the dedication of the temple.

thirty three chapters- the number of earthly years of the Savior.

The number of heads of temples is connected with the dedication of the main altar of the temple, and also often with the number of altars connected in one volume.

DOME COLOR

The color of the dome is also important in the symbolism of the temple.

Gold is a symbol of heavenly glory. Golden domes were at the main temples and at the temples dedicated to Christ and the Twelve Feasts.

The gilding of domes is a purely Orthodox tradition that is not found in other confessions. This seeming extravagance has its own unbreakable logic. For an Orthodox person, gold is primarily a symbol of eternity, incorruption, royalty and heavenly glory. No wonder one of the gifts brought by the Magi to baby Jesus was gold. Gold in Russia covered the heads of the main temples, as well as temples dedicated to the Savior.

The use of gold foil in the decoration of churches began during the time of the Byzantine Empire, which did not spare precious metal for the splendor of temples. Subsequently, the tradition of decoration was adopted by the baptized Russia. The Church of the Intercession of the Mother of God on the Nerl River was one of the first whose dome was covered with gold leaf by order of St. Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky.

Domes are blue with the stars they crown churches dedicated to the Theotokos, because the star recalls the birth of Christ from the Virgin Mary.

Trinity churches had green domes, because green is the color of the Holy Spirit.

Temples dedicated to saints are also crowned green or silver domes

meet in monasteries black domes is the color of monasticism.

An Orthodox church without a dome or a dome seems to be fake. There are, of course, temporary churches or various premises adapted for worship without domes, but, you must admit, there is neither proper beauty nor grandeur in such walls. And yet, beauty is not the main thing. The domes symbolize the heavenly world, the Kingdom of Heaven, where the eyes of believers are directed.

Russian architects borrowed this most important detail for Orthodox architecture from Byzantine masters. Recall the huge dome over the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople. It was “invented” back in the 6th century and made a real revolution in architecture - it seemed that the dome crowns the temple without any supports, it seems to be floating in the air. By the way, this type of dome is called sailing.

The dome always ends with a dome, where a cross is installed in honor of the Head of the Church - Jesus Christ. But you, of course, know that it is impossible to find two absolutely identical churches. Somewhere the temple is covered by one large vault, and somewhere three, five or seven onions rush up. Why?

Of course, for good reason. Two heads mean two natures in Jesus Christ - divine and human. Three chapters symbolize the Holy Trinity, five chapters - Jesus Christ and four Evangelists, seven chapters - seven Ecumenical Councils, nine chapters - nine orders of angels, and thirteen - Jesus Christ and the twelve apostles.

Naval Cathedral of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in Kronstadt

The color scheme of the domes is also different. The golden color is a symbol of heavenly glory. Such domes are found at the main temples dedicated to the Savior and the Twelve Feasts. Blue with stars you will see on the churches dedicated to the Virgin, as the star reminds us of the birth of Christ from the Virgin Mary. And on Trinity churches, as a rule, the domes are green, since this is the color of the Holy Spirit. Green (and sometimes silver) domes are also found on churches in honor of various saints. In the monasteries you can see temples with black domes. The explanation is simple: black is a symbol of monasticism.

And what can you say about the multi-colored onions of the Intercession Church (St. Basil's) on Red Square? They are called to remind us of the beauty and joy of Heavenly Jerusalem, which righteous Christians will be rewarded with.

From early times, the Christian religion was filled with special signs - they were embodied in the architecture of temples. What is the meaning of believers in the shape, color and number of domes of the Orthodox Church - we understand together with the portal "Culture.RF".

Colour: gold to black

Gold. The most common color of Orthodox domes represents eternity and heavenly glory. Temples with golden domes were dedicated to Christ and the great church holidays - Christmas, Meeting, Annunciation. Such domes crown the Moscow Cathedral of Christ the Savior and the Kremlin cathedrals - Assumption, Annunciation, Arkhangelsk.

Today, domes are not lined with gold, but earlier the metal was dissolved in mercury, and then the resulting amalgam was applied to a hot copper sheet. The gilding process was very expensive and labor intensive. For example, 100 kilograms of gold were used to cover the dome of St. Isaac's Cathedral.

Blue with stars. Temples with such domes are most often dedicated to the Mother of God. The blue color symbolizes the purity and purity of the Virgin Mary, and the stars refer to the Star of Bethlehem, which marked the birth of Jesus Christ. Such domes are crowned with the Suzdal Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, built under Vladimir Monomakh. It was the first stone temple in the Vladimir-Suzdal land.

But there are also cathedrals with blue domes that are not associated with the name of the Virgin. The Trinity Cathedral in St. Petersburg was built in 1838 for the Izmailovsky regiment of the Imperial Guard. His officers wore blue uniforms, so that color was chosen for the domes.

Green. This color is considered a sign of the Holy Spirit. Most often it can be found in churches dedicated to the Holy Trinity. One of these buildings is the Church of the Holy Trinity "Kulich and Easter". The idea to give the temple the shape of traditional Easter dishes belonged to the customer of the construction - Prince Alexander Vyazemsky. At his request, the architect Nikolai Lvov built a pyramidal bell tower and a rotunda church with a low green dome.

Similar domes are also crowned by churches built in honor of Orthodox saints. For example, the Church of Elijah the Prophet in Yaroslavl is one of the key monuments of the local school of the 17th century.

Silver. This color in Orthodoxy is associated with purity and holiness. Temples dedicated to saints are crowned with silver domes - for example, the Church of St. Nicholas on Lipna near Veliky Novgorod and St. Sophia Cathedral in Vologda. The temple in honor of St. Sophia was erected in 1570 by decree of Ivan the Terrible. The tsar ordered that it be built on the model of the Assumption Cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin.

Black. Domes of this color are rare and adorn monastic churches. Black domes crown the cathedrals of the Martha and Mary Convent in Moscow, an Art Nouveau nunnery designed by Alexei Shchusev. Funds for its construction were donated by the Grand Duchess Elizaveta Feodorovna, the widow of the Moscow Governor-General, Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich. Domes symbolizing monasticism can also be seen on the cathedrals of the Transfiguration Monastery in Murom.

Multi-colored domes in the Orthodox tradition remind believers of the beauty of Heavenly Jerusalem. This is how the heads of the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood in St. Petersburg and St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow look like. Foreign travelers admired the colored patterns of the domes and compared them to the scales of the cedar cone, pineapple and artichoke. This type of dome was acquired after a fire in 1595 - then the temple was restored and rebuilt.

Shape: not only bulbs

The spherical dome in the Orthodox tradition symbolizes eternity. The Romans began to build temples with similar domes: in the 2nd century they learned to build ceilings of a large area without supports. The Roman pantheon of 128 AD, built in this way, has survived to this day. e. In Russia, spherical domes crown Moscow's Yelokhovsky Cathedral, the site of Alexander Pushkin's baptism.

The helmet-shaped dome refers to the words of the Apostle Paul: "Put on the whole armor of God...and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God". Such domes are typical of Russian pre-Mongolian architecture: they decorate, for example, the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir and the Church of Peter and Paul in Smolensk.

The onion dome in Orthodox architecture is the embodiment of prayer, the desire for heaven. According to researcher Yevgeny Trubetskoy, such a dome on the basis of a drum resembles a candle flame. Onion-shaped domes are typical of Russian architecture of the 16th–17th centuries. Examples of temples with similar domes are the Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist in Uglich and the churches of the Rostov Kremlin.

A tent instead of a traditional dome is interpreted in Christianity as an image of the Mother of God or Heavenly Light. Tent temples were widespread in the 16th century, although similar churches were built earlier. They were usually built from wood: it was very difficult to repeat the design of the tent in stone. The most famous example of tent architecture is the Church of the Ascension in Kolomenskoye. It was built by order of Prince Vasily III in honor of the birth of the long-awaited heir to the throne, the future Tsar Ivan IV the Terrible.

One dome reminds believers of the unity of God. Single-domed temples were especially popular in pre-Mongol times. The most famous of them are the Church of the Intercession on the Nerl and the Demetrius Cathedral in Vladimir. Both temples were built in the XII century - they survived the devastating Mongol-Tatar invasions and have survived to this day.

The two domes are rare and signify the divine and human nature of Jesus Christ. In Moscow, the Church of Cosmas and Damian in Old Pani is crowned with two domes. This is one of the oldest churches in the capital: its wooden predecessor was built back in 1468.

Three domes are associated with the Holy Trinity. Three domes crown St. George's Cathedral of St. George's Monastery - the oldest monastery in Veliky Novgorod. The cathedral was erected in 1130 by the decree of Prince Mstislav Vladimirovich. The chronicle preserved the name of the architect - Peter. It is believed that he also built the Nikolo-Dvorishchensky Cathedral and the Church of the Annunciation on Gorodische

Five domes are a symbol of Jesus Christ and the four evangelists: John, Mark, Luke and Matthew. Five-domed temples are found in Russia more often than others. The most famous of them are the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir and the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin built in its image.

Seven domes signify for the Orthodox seven church sacraments, seven Ecumenical Councils (meetings at which the main Christian dogmas were adopted) and the seven main Orthodox virtues. Seven-domed cathedrals are not as common as three- or five-domed ones. These include the Ascension Church in Novocherkassk—the main cathedral of the Don Cossacks—and the Exaltation of the Cross Cathedral of the Belogorsk Nicholas Monastery near Perm.

Nine domes are associated with nine angelic ranks. According to the Christian tradition, heavenly angels are divided into nine levels: the closest to God are cherubim and seraphim, and to man - angels and archangels. Nine domes crown