Which side are the icons placed on? How to properly place icons in an apartment: rules for placing an iconostasis. Special placement instructions
Every home where an Orthodox family lives must have icons. They are necessary to protect the apartment. Also, with an image before your eyes it is much easier to concentrate for prayer. However, now not everyone knows where to hang icons in the house. But there is nothing complicated in this science.
How to hang an icon in the bedroom or any other room?
Where and how to hang icons?
A home is not a temple in which everything is strictly regulated and where it cannot be otherwise. Here you can give free rein to your imagination - naturally, within the framework of traditions and canons. The canonical opinion is that an icon should be in every room of the house, with rare exceptions.
The most important rule in this case is that there should be enough space in front of the image. This is necessary so that the believer can pray in front of the icon without inconvenience, because that is what it is intended for. Everything else - again, with rare exceptions - is advisory in nature.
So, it’s worth thinking about placing icons in rooms.
· Be sure to hang the image above the dining table (in the dining room or kitchen). Before eating you need to pray. As a rule, this place is occupied by the icon of the Savior or the Last Supper.
· The image of a guardian angel is often placed in the nursery. The best location is at the head of the crib.
· A common misconception is that there should be no icons in the bedroom. But that's not true. You just need to know how to hang an icon in the bedroom. If spouses sleep in it, it’s okay, because intercourse in marriage is not considered a sin. It is advisable to hang it at the head of a properly positioned bed.
It is important that, if possible, the image hangs on the eastern side, because of the tradition of turning to face the east for prayer. But if this is impossible, what can you do? It is also recommended to take into account the hierarchy when placing them - that is, you should not hang the images of the Mother of God or the Savior below all the others.
Where should you not hang icons?
There are places where you absolutely should not hang icons in the house. There are also some prohibitive traditions.
It is important to remember: in which corner the icons are hung, there should not be other photographs, posters or drawings there. Only canonical images and nothing more. The same applies to walls. Because you can only pray on them, but not on a poster, for example, of Michael Jackson or a portrait of your great-grandmother.
When a person takes the path of Christian asceticism, new knowledge appears about faith and those subjects that are a necessary setting for the formation and strengthening of faith. They are a necessary component of the life of an Orthodox Christian. One of them is an icon. Over time, the question arises: where should icons be placed in the house?
Over time, the question arises: where should icons be located in the house?
Many new Christians go through a stage of collecting images. I would like to buy many icons at once. This often happens, and the believer, as a rule, does not know where the icons should be in the house. Over time, the understanding comes that it is not a matter of quantity, but of quality.
You can have one image and that will be enough, or you can hang the whole house with icons, but this will not have an impact on spiritual life.
Therefore, before purchasing icons, you need to have an idea of what a home iconostasis is and where the icons should be located in the house.
Unfortunately, the living space does not always have the desired area, then in general there are some difficulties in how to correctly arrange icons in the apartment. And if there is still no understanding and support in the family regarding the topic of faith, then the situation can be completely sad.
In what corner are icons placed in the room?
According to the church, where the icons should be located in the house, the priest will answer - on the east or eastern wall. But the realities of housing conditions are such that the answer is: in an accessible and free place. This is important, because how to correctly arrange icons at home is an important point, but this is not the main thing.
Icons are not pictures for interior decoration. This is a serious tool for spiritual work.
Icons are not pictures for interior decoration
If, after all, the eastern corner is not filled with furniture, and you can approach it, then use this part of the home. In which corner in the house icons are hung has no meaning for the salvation of the soul, just as in which corner icons are hung in the apartment. But they can help a Christian systematize his spiritual life.
How to properly place icons in the house
Having decided on the place where the icons should stand in the apartment, you need to understand that they are a means of communication with God, the Most Holy Theotokos and the saints.
The believer must have the opportunity to be alone with the icons in order to complete the prayer rule. Therefore, the question of how to properly hang icons in an apartment is not decisive, but requires understanding from those around you.
The believer should have the opportunity to have privacy with icons
If earlier, the corner in which the icons were located was called red, and it corresponded to the church tradition - the eastern side, then in the conditions of modern construction this is not allowed. Therefore, how to properly place icons in the house is decided by taking into account the convenience of using them.
How to properly place icons in the house is decided by taking into account the ease of using them
Even if you still want to choose strict compliance with church custom, there is often a pipe in the eastern corner, for example. It is hardly worth starting a renovation just for the sake of it being the answer to the question: how to properly hang icons in the house.
How not to place images of saints
There are several recommendations on where to place icons in the house, and what images of saints should not be combined with. It is not allowed to arrange icons as interior decoration items, or to surround them with figurines of a secular nature, paintings, or panels.
Where there should be icons in the house, photographs or posters with images of an entertaining nature or socialites are also unacceptable. Moreover, such a combination can negatively affect the home environment, because such a combination is a confrontation with the spiritual world.
How many icons can you have and how to purchase them?
The quantity of icons should turn into quality over time. That is, your favorite icons of Jesus Christ, the Blessed Virgin Mary, saints and church holidays will remain in the home iconostasis. The priest can tell you in which corner the icons should hang in the house; at the same time, if the home has not been consecrated, then this must be done.
The number of icons should turn into quality over time
The acquisition of icons is a personal matter and is associated with knowledge of who or what event is depicted on them. For example, the Mother of God image has more than 800 copies, which means the same number of stories of their manifestation. The heart and path of a Christian believer will tell you which images to pray in front of in your home iconostasis.
The priest’s answer, where icons should be located in the house, says that a house or apartment is a home temple, and in the temple there are icons everywhere. For example, if this is a kitchen, then it would be appropriate to place there the Last Supper icon with icons of saints who patronize hospitable prosperity in the house.
Love for icons should not be fanatical
After all, before and after meals, a Christian prays. But love for icons should not be fanatical; Orthodox Christians do not worship icons. An icon is a shrine that helps to maintain constant presence with the Lord.
How to maintain order among the holy faces?
The conclusion can be drawn as follows: in which corner the icons are hung is not an important question for a modern Christian. It is important to properly communicate with them. Icons are objects inspired by our sincere prayers before them. Therefore, shrines must be kept in order and clean.
Wipe off dust regularly with a dry cloth. Do not allow icons to be damaged; if such an incident occurs, be sure to confess it. If there are dilapidated icons, then they should not be thrown away, just like any spiritual image. Bring such an icon to the priest, he will tell you what to do with it.
What rules exist for the correct (or desirable) arrangement of icons in an ordinary apartment. How important is cardinal orientation?
Hieromonk Job (Gumerov) answers:
Since ancient times, Christians have prayed to the east. St. Basil the Great writes about this. The theological explanation for this is given by St. John of Damascus: “We worship to the east not simply and not by chance. But since we consist of visible and invisible, i.e. spiritual and sensory nature, then we offer double worship to the Creator, just as, (for example), we sing with both the mind and the bodily lips, we are baptized with water and the Spirit, and we unite with the Lord in two ways, partaking of the sacraments and grace of the Spirit. So, since God is spiritual light(1 John 1:5), and Christ in Scripture is called Sun of truth(Mal. 4, 2) and East(Zech. 3:8), then the east should be dedicated to worship Him.” For this reason, it is customary to arrange a red corner and place icons on the eastern side of the house. If the layout of the room or other reasons do not allow this to be done exactly, then you need to choose the wall or corner closest to the east. Following this pious tradition, we should not absolutize it. Some icons can be placed on other sides of the house, so that the sight of holy images maintains a constant mood of prayer in us.
The home of an Orthodox believer is a kind of small Church; a prayer song must be heard in this place. Praises and petitions are performed in front of the images of icons, because they are a means of communication between a person and the Almighty Lord or His faithful and eternal servants. However, Orthodox believers must remember: the appeal refers to the individual, and not to the canvas on which he is depicted.
Installation of an iconostasis in the house
The arrangement of icons in a home iconostasis can be arbitrary, but in the Christian tradition there are some rules.
In past times, every family had a shelf where holy images were displayed. These divine paintings were located in the brightest and most eye-catching place. The shelf for icons was installed in the far corner of the house, in the East. This place was the most illuminated, since the two walls forming it had windows, where a lot of sunlight passed through.
Home iconostasis
An icon is a sacred image, which is separated from everyday realities and never mixes with everyday life, but is intended exclusively for dialogue with the Lord. It is a window from the infinite world, as well as divine revelations in the tones and lines of the icon painter’s brush.
It is naive to assume that a large number of holy images makes the life of an Orthodox believer more pious than it actually is.
About icons:
An unsystematized collection of icons, various reproductions, and church calendars is similar to ordinary collecting, where prayer completely disappears as an end in itself. Here there is a complete distortion of the term “house”, which is a continuation of the monastery.
Modern location of the iconostasis
For a family, this relic is a unifying prayer factor that arises after the forgiveness of all everyday grievances and the achievement of mutual understanding.
- Today's realities of life insist that the church allows you to set up a home iconostasis in a free place. However, orthodox rules recommend placing it on the eastern side. The concept of “east” has an important feature for Orthodoxy. It is written about him in the Book of Genesis, in Bartholomew and Matthew.
- If doors are located in the east of the apartment, it is allowed to use other cardinal directions.
- When choosing a place for a family altar, you need to avoid the proximity of holy images with any household appliances, which are considered a vain product of modernization and do not contribute to spirituality. It is necessary to avoid close proximity of icons and decorative decorations, as well as with books of a non-religious nature.
- For an Orthodox family, the presence of images of the Savior Christ and the Virgin Mary in the home iconostasis is mandatory. The image of the Messiah should always remain central, and all others will be smaller in size. The main icons (Trinity, Christ and the Virgin Mary) are located above the rest, but the Crucifixion is allowed to be placed above them.
How to correctly arrange icons in an apartment
- Decoration for the family iconostasis - fresh flowers. Large icons installed nearby should be framed with towels according to the ancient Christian tradition. It is prohibited to place non-canonical paintings or their reproductions nearby.
- The home iconostasis should be crowned with a cross, and a lamp should be lit during prayerful praise. On holidays, according to the church calendar, candle flames can burn for a whole day.
Holy images for the goddess
There must be two holy images in the home iconostasis.
An image of the Son of God, testifying to the incarnation of God and the salvation of the human race. For prayer, a waist cloth is often chosen, on which the Almighty blesses the world with his right hand, and holds the Divine Scripture in his left hand. The Lord appears in these images as the Arbiter of every destiny, a merciful Father who gives the Truth to which the eyes of Orthodox followers are directed. In this regard, icons of the Son of God always occupy the main place on the shelves of the home iconostasis.
The face of the Mother of God, who is a perfect man and revered above the Seraphim and Cherubim. More often, images called “Tenderness” or “Hodegetria” are used.
- The author of the first type, whose lists are extremely common in the Orthodox world, is traditionally considered to be the Apostle Luke. In “Tenderness” there is a magnificent contact between Christ in infancy and the Mother of God, which symbolizes the union of the earthly and the heavenly, the Creator and the best of His creations. The image expresses the Creator’s infinite love for the human race, when God gave the Son to atone for sinfulness. The most common and famous icons of the “Tenderness” type include: Vladimir, “It is Worthy to Eat,” “Recovery of the Dead,” etc.
- “Hodegetria” (“Guide”) is the second common type of face of the Virgin Mary. The image demonstrates the true path to God. On the icon this is evidenced by the specific gesture of the right hand of the Mother of God, pointing to the Infant Christ. The most famous faces of “Hodegetria” are: Blachernae, Iveron, Tikhvin, Kazan, etc.
Read about the Mother of God icons for the iconostasis:
In the Orthodox tradition, the image of St. Nicholas the Ugodnik is extremely popular. It has always occupied an important place on the shelves of every Christian's iconostasis. St. Nicholas is revered as an eternal servant of God, endowed with special grace.
An Orthodox Christian can place in the shrine the images of the famous prophet Elijah, the Great Martyr George the Victorious, Panteleimon, and the holy evangelist John the Baptist.
Advice! The choice is always individual, and the best assistant in the matter is the priest. They turn to him or another monk for advice.
Iconostasis in the house
Special placement instructions
At home, you are allowed to follow only the basic rules of arrangement.
- It is necessary to maintain symmetry and systematicity, to think through the compositional structure, which will help avoid feelings of internal dissatisfaction and the desire to change something. Incorrect arrangement distracts from the prayer service, the essence of which is concentration on petition and praise.
- An Orthodox person is obliged to remember the principle of church hierarchy: locally revered icons cannot be placed above the main ones (Christ the Savior, the Virgin Mary and the Holy Trinity).
- The image of the Messiah must be placed on the right side of the upcoming believer, and the canvas with the face of the Virgin Mary on the left. When selecting an iconostasis, one should focus on the uniformity of artistic execution of the shrines. The Church is not recommended to allow diversity in styles.
- Orthodox people must take holiness very seriously, since it is one of the properties of God himself. This quality is reflected in heavenly saints and material objects. It follows: the veneration of holy governors and iconographies belongs to the same religious order.
- The degree of churching of a family is judged by the reverence that members show to the faces of Christ and the Mother of God. Ancestral icons have always been greatly revered. The newly baptized baby was brought to the shrine, and the priest read prayers praising God. In ancient times, through the icon, parents blessed their children for successful studies, travel to distant lands, and service to society. Before a wedding or after the death of a person, believers also turned to the saints for help.
- If an iconostasis is placed in the house, quarrels, disgusting behavior, and scandals on various topics are unacceptable. However, an overly reverent attitude towards shrines should not be transformed into idolatry. We must remember: icons are a divine image, but not the very personality of the Lord or His vicegerents.
- A canvas that has fallen into complete disrepair and cannot be restored cannot be thrown away; it must be treated with due respect and respect as an ancient tablet. Previously, if the colors on an icon were washed off, it was sent down the river. Today, such a rarity is taken to the church, where it is burned in the temple oven.
- If damage to the face occurred due to careless storage, one should confess, since the Church considers such irresponsibility a sin.
Orthodox online store Svyatsy.Org - iconostases for the home.
DIY iconostasis
The arrangement of icons in the home iconostasis today is done as the believer wants.
However, there are certain rules that are better to adhere to in order to improve the quality of communication with the Lord and His vicegerents.
Before arrangement, you should study the planned recommendations for installation in the apartment, and then select the desired angle.
- Today, furniture stores offer a large number of iconostases in their assortment. It is possible to make it to order, taking into account all the features and preferences.
- Any materials are suitable for self-production.
- The first step is to make drawings of the cabinet.
- You should remember the distance between the shelves of the iconostasis, because they can ignite from burning candles.
- Images of saints are placed at eye level, which facilitates communication.
Important! The home iconostasis is a direct continuation of the altar in the temple - the same prayers are performed here, bringing you closer to the mountain regions. Therefore, the images must be kept clean and great respect must be shown to them.
Video on how to place an iconostasis in your home
Previously, almost every house had its own iconostasis - a place where icons were located and where prayers were offered to the saints and to the Lord. Now, many Christian traditions have been forgotten, as a result of which some families do not know how to properly maintain and arrange icons in the house.
Previously, the most honorable place was allocated for icons, called the red or holy corner, shrine, or kivot (kiot).
Such a place was richly decorated, kept immaculately clean, it served as a kind of home altar, where family members could pray and ask the Lord for blessings. Nowadays, such a practice almost never occurs, and more and more often in the homes of believers there is simply one or several separate icons, located as and where necessary.
Of course, such an attitude towards icons is not welcome, because these are holy images that must be treated accordingly. Therefore, it is important to know at least the basic principles of choosing and placing icons in the house in advance, so as not to desecrate them.
How to choose icons for your home? The choice of icons for each family and even for its individual members is always individual: each believer has the right to decide for himself, listening to the voice of his heart, which saints’ exploits inspire him most, and which images he will turn to daily in prayer. However, there is still one general rule -
Orthodox families must have icons of the Savior and the Mother of God at home.
An icon of the Savior for home prayers is usually chosen with the image of the Lord Almighty (Pantocrator) or the Savior Not Made by Hands. The icon of the Mother of God in the house is chosen mainly from such iconographic types as “Tenderness” (“Eleusa”) and “Guide” (“Hodegetria”).
In young families, the wedding couple is often used as the two main icons in the house. This is acceptable, but it is important to ensure that such a pair is larger in size than the other icons in the house and at the same time matches them in writing style.
If we talk about other icons for the home, in addition to the images of Christ and the Virgin Mary, then their choice, as mentioned above, is free. But most often, believers buy for their home icons of the heavenly patron saints of family members (nominal icons), icons of very revered saints in the family, and icons of holidays. At the same time, the images of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker and the Holy Great Martyr George the Victorious are also quite often found in the homes of believers - especially revered and beloved saints among the people.
In accordance with Orthodox Christian traditions, icons in the house were not always hung on the walls, but were placed on special shelves. However, in modern conditions, placing icons on walls is considered acceptable, so believers often wonder where exactly icons can be hung.
There are no strict regulations on the order of placing icons in a house, as in a temple. But you still need to adhere to a number of important principles when choosing a place for each icon. Thus, no icon can be larger or located higher than the icon of the Savior, with the exception of the icon of the Holy Trinity. Next to the image of Christ there is usually an icon of the Mother of God, and the relative position of these icons should be such that the icon of the Savior in relation to the believer facing it is on the right, and the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos is on the left.
Below the icons of Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary, or to the side of them, you can place personalized icons of family members, as well as other icons. In this case, the principle of hierarchy is usually observed: for example, icons of saints are not placed above the main icons (Holy Trinity, Savior, Mother of God) and above the icons of the apostles.
In Orthodox churches, the altars face the east, and in the home iconostasis the holy images are usually also located on the east side. But if, due to the layout of the premises in the house, it is not possible to place icons in this way, it’s okay, because icons are allowed to be placed in any accessible place. It is important to remember that there should be enough free space in front of the icons for several family members to pray at once; the part of the room where the icons are located should not be cluttered.
The choice of room for placing icons in the house can be almost anything: icons can be placed in the living room, in the nursery, in the kitchen; it is also possible to place icons above the entrance to the house. And of course, you can hang icons on the walls or put them on shelves in the bedroom, including the matrimonial one: conjugal intimacy in marriage is not a sin, so there is nothing reprehensible in the fact that icons are located above the matrimonial bed, there is and cannot be.
In conclusion, it is worth noting that icons in the house should always be placed separately, and it is inappropriate to place them on shelves with books, photographs of family members, toys, and souvenirs. It is also not allowed to place icons surrounded by paintings, even of a religious nature, or surrounded by photographs of the righteous or priests. published