Question of the Day

List 3-4 reasons that people might light a candle in a

Church?

(Above: People light candles in the Church of the Holy

Sepulchre in Jerusalem)

Christianity in Russian Culture

An Introduction to Icons in

Russian Culture

Russia

Christianity comes to Russia

• City of Kiev became the center of the first Russian state – blended with Varangians (Vikings)

• Olga, Princess of Kiev, converted to Byzantine Christianity in 957

• Her Grandson, Vladimir, would also convert to Byzantine Christianity which made the religion popular throughout Russia

Christianity is in Russia

• Russian rulers, like the Byzantine Emperors, control the Russian Orthodox Church which means……

• Russian rulers would use the Church as a way to extend their power over the people

• “ As one obeys the Church one should also obey the Prince/Czar”

Religious Power: East vs. West

• In Western Europe, Monarchs and the Pope constantly battled for religious and/or political power

• In the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Emperor/Czar controlled the Church

• In the East the power of the Emperor/Czar was second only to God

Icons

• Icons are defined most simply as holy images

• Every Russian family would receive a special icon for milestone life events and family traditions such as:

• Baptisms, marriages and the family’s patron saint

• Every Russian home had an entire room devoted to their Icons

• Icons were also a way to explain Bible stories to illiterate Russian serfs

• Orthodox Christians believe that the homes of believers are a type of Church

“Icon corners” existed in the homes

of the rich and the poor

Old Testament Trinity

by Andrei Rublev • Rublev painted the old

testament story of 3 Angels visiting Abraham

• He removed Abraham from the icon but kept the Angels

• In this way, he could explain the concept of one God in three bodies

• Both the literate and illiterate could understand icons

• Other popular icons which also relate to Bible stories are…

Image Not Made By Hands

• This was the first icon made

• This icon refers to the story of an ancient King of Edessa

• The King suffered from Leprosy

• According to the story, the King was healed when a cloth, which Jesus had dried his own face with, and bore the image of Jesus, was pressed to the King’s face

Each Russian town had its own

“Mother of God” Icon, honoring Mary

St. Nicholas

• St. Nicholas is a very important Saint in Russia

• He is believed to be the protector of sailors

• He is believed to have enjoyed giving gifts to children, especially the poor; that is the basis for Santa Claus

Three handed Mother of God

• Iconoclasm is the act of attacking or destroying icons

• An iconoclast is a person who attacks or destroys icons

• In the 700’s a Byzantine Emperor outlawed Icons

• St. John of Damascus continued to encourage people to pray to icons

• In retaliation, the Emperor ordered that John’s hand be cut off

• After praying to a Mother of God icon, John’s hand was healed

• In order to thank God for this miracle St. John fashioned a third hand onto the mother of God icon

Visual Thinking Skill

Question of the Day

• In the next slide, examine the Russian

Painting “The Sick Man” by Vasili Maximov

(1881)

• What is the woman doing in the painting?

• Why might she be doing this?

• What might this image reveal about the

place that icons held in Russian culture?

The Power of Icons?

• Russian Christians believed that icons were a spiritual doorway

• The icons themselves held a power which could grant the grace of God to a person’s life

• In our world today, what might be considered icon type entities?

• Consider any entities which people might consider to be “supernatural”

Sources

• http://www.holycrossmedford.org/our_church_and_iconography.htm

• http://www.tretyakovgallery.ru/en/calendar/root5601724/root56017242234/

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinity_(Andrei_Rublev)

• http://ocafs.oca.org/FeastSaintsViewer.asp?S

• http://famousdiamonds.tripod.com/russiancrownjewels.html

• http://www.stnicholascenter.org/Brix?pageID=44

• http://www.hermitagemuseum.org/html_En/03/hm3_6_8a.html

• http://www.holytrinityorthodox.com/calendar/los/June/28-06.htm

• http://orthodoxwiki.org/Icon_corner

• http://davidnclayton.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/icon-corner1.jpg

• http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/iconoclast

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Wassilij_Maximowitsch_Maximow_002.jpg • http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51jLvVEaYGL._SL500_AA300_.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.amazon.com/Hard-Days-Night-

Beatles/dp/B000002UAF&usg=__tBzmxs5_-5PLmPnK2U3zByCwuqs=&h=300&w=300&sz=31&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=XNP1VZP4LVEWLM:&tbnh=162&tbnw=162&ei=v408TfGpBIT78Aaew-i6Cg&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dthe%2Bbeatles%2Bhard%2Bday%2527s%2Bnight%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26biw%3D1261%26bih%3D506%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=135&vpy=110&dur=499&hovh=225&hovw=225&tx=107&ty=99&oei=v408TfGpBIT78Aaew-i6Cg&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=10&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0

• http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.petersburg-lodging.com/st-petersburg-russia-pictures/winter-palace/Russian_Double_Headed_Eagle.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.petersburg-lodging.com/st-petersburg-russia-pictures/winter-palace.htm&usg=__2EoxGrI_rMgFPSqYZNkcbSzN_Y8=&h=600&w=800&sz=108&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=uA7PugCEgv_0zM:&tbnh=126&tbnw=158&ei=HOM9TfenDMK78gblvpHrCg&prev=/images%3Fq%3Drussian%2Bdouble%2Beagle%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26biw%3D1001%26bih%3D560%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=716&vpy=223&dur=1844&hovh=194&hovw=259&tx=198&ty=96&oei=x-I9TYLKHIaglAfpyuXxBg&esq=15&page=1&ndsp=15&ved=1t:429,r:9,s:0

• http://www.gojerusalem.com/light-a-candle/