The hut is red in the corners! – this is what the Russian proverb says. Not every modern person will understand what folk wisdom is talking about. And the meaning of the proverb is that the most beautiful thing in a house is not the furniture and carpets, but the corner where the holy faces are located.
A home iconostasis is a temple corner where a believer can retire with his thoughts and talk with his intercessor angel. Creating a place of worship is a responsible and God-pleasing matter, so you need to approach the organization of an icon display with knowledge of the matter.
Which icons are suitable for a home iconostasis?
The central place on the shelf is occupied by images of Jesus Christ and his mother, the Virgin Mary. There is no need to force a prayer corner; it is enough to choose the face of a righteous man as the third icon, who will serve as a guardian angel for the whole family. Churchmen advise choosing the icon of Matrona of Moscow or St. Nicholas the Wonderworker: it protects from illnesses, gives healing to the sick, and preserves peace and tranquility in the family.
Advice to believers! When visiting temples and churches, you should pay attention to personalized icons (for example, St. Olga or Great Martyr Tatiana) and those faces of saints to whom the soul is drawn.
Where to place the iconostasis
A home deity is a temple that is always next to a believer. The foundations of the temple are transferred to a small home chapel, and the first church law is that icons should be located on the eastern side of the apartment.
How to determine where east is? There are three ways to get your bearings:
- In the morning, go out onto the balcony and see from which side the sun rises.
- In the evening, find the North Star in the sky - it always points north, which means east will be on the right.
- On the compass, align the arrows with north and south, east will be on the right side.
After determining the east side, you need to choose a wall or corner near the window so that natural sunlight illuminates the images.
The icon rack can be placed in any room, except for the room close to the toilet and bathroom. The kitchen is suitable for icons of Christ the Savior: he sanctifies food and protects the household. And after eating, it is advisable to thank the intercessor every time for “...our daily bread...”.
Note to believers! The holy elders do not recommend placing the iconostasis in a room where guests gather and drink alcohol. There should be no posters of stars or large photographs on the walls. The place for prayer is chosen to be spacious, bright, secluded and, most importantly, free from objects reminiscent of human sins.
Icon order
Shelves for icons have many names - icon cases, lecterns, shrines, icon cases. They differ in size, number of tiers, structure and finish. But all the shelves perform a single function - they serve as a place for storing holy images.
The shelf with icons should fit into the surrounding space, and everyone entering the room should meet the eyes of the faces of the righteous. The collection of icons is usually placed at eye level or 20–30 cm above, and most importantly, in easy access for the person who will care for it.
The central place in the Orthodox iconostasis is usually occupied by the image of Christ the Savior. On his right hand is the face of the Mother of God, and on the left hand of Jesus is Seraphim the Intercessor.
The iconostasis can consist of 2 or more tiers with images, but on the top shelf there is always the face of Christ the Savior or the Holy Mother of God. The central icons are larger than the adjacent images and serve as intercessors for all family members.
Lamps, flowers and other attributes
A red corner is often organized in the bedroom next to the bed. The icon box is covered with a towel or starched curtains, and lovingly surrounded with pots of fresh flowers. On church holidays, you need to bring candles, oils and holy water from the temple. These attributes, along with biblical literature, can be stored on the bottom shelf and prayers can be read before going to bed.
A lamp is the most important attribute of a home iconostasis. Believers keep a living flame in it, which symbolizes the beating human heart. Only the oil lit in the church is poured into the lamp and the innermost desires are conveyed to the patron saints through the fire.
DIY iconostasis
Church shops sell ready-made iconostases that can be immediately installed in your home. It happens that the holy “goods” are beyond your means, so it is better to assemble the icon rack with your own hands.
Some unnecessary board or shelf from a disassembled cabinet can be used; all that remains is to find the right place and come up with reliable fasteners for it. The base should be covered with a beautiful blanket and decorated with flowers. The shelf itself will be hidden under luxurious decoration.
When there is a desire to create a home iconostasis, there is both time and funds for its arrangement. And when the place for solitude with intercessors is ready, the believer’s soul will definitely become warmer.
The icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker and the icon of the Matrona of Moscow stand in a cabinet with glass doors.
Why keep an unreliable image of the late “witch doctor” Matrona Nikonova in the house? After all, it has long been clear that this was not canonization, but commercialization. "Thou shalt have no other gods before Me"
It is not necessary to place the iconostasis on the east side. Nowadays houses are designed in such a way that I personally can’t do it on the east side.
I placed it where it is convenient for me to pray.
God bless.
I have an iconostasis on the east side in the bedroom, but not in the heads but at the feet, so the bed is located, I don’t know if this is correct or not
Preferably the right corner and by the window, the bed is located with its feet towards the icons.
But today, the world has changed and in apartments it is necessary to create a red corner.
The main thing is that the TV in one corner does not stand under the icons.
It’s best to consult your confessor.
I took a picture and showed it to my father, my inspiration.
In the church, icons are located in all directions. At home, icons should be placed above our heads - otherwise, when we turn over in bed, we will face the icons in an obscene manner.