Orthodox Church

In 1932, Victor (Belarus), bishop of the Orthodox Church in Shanghai, raised funds from the Orthodox Church and Russian expatriates to build the Orthodox Church, also known as the Notre Dame hall, on Henry Road (now 55 Xinle Road). The top is a semicircle dome, the middle is a large dome, and there are four small domes in four corners. This is the largest Orthodox Church in Shanghai. In 1948, there were four Orthodox churches and missionaries in the area: the Notre Dame hall in Xinle Road, the Russian Restaurant missionary office at No. 6, Lane 113, Changshu Road, the Russian school missionary office at Wanping Road, Hengshan Road, and the orthodox missionary office at No. 1233, Fuxing middle road.

Orthodox Church

Orthodox Church has several shapes, each shape has a special mysterious meaning, and each church generally uses only one shape. The most commonly used are ellipses or rectangles, mimicking the shape of a boat. The number of onion domes in the church comes from biblical stories, with 3 heads, 5 heads and 13 heads. The largest number of scallions in Russian cathedrals is 33, which symbolizes the 33 years of Jesus' life on earth.

brief introduction

Orthodox Church has several shapes, each shape has a special mysterious meaning, and each church generally uses only one shape. The most commonly used are ellipses or rectangles, mimicking the shape of a boat. Under the guidance of the skilled helmsman, the ship takes people from the stormy sea to the peaceful harbor, while the church, under the guidance of God, leads people safely across the turbulent sea of sin and conflict to the peaceful harbor of heaven. Churches are often built in the shape of crosses to show that people are saved by believing in the crucified Savior. Believers are ready to bear anything for the Savior. Orthodox churches in Rome and Russia have their own characteristics. The same is the onion dome of the Orthodox Church. The number of onion domes in the church comes from biblical stories, with 3 heads, 5 heads and 13 heads. The largest number of scallions in Russian cathedrals is 33, which symbolizes the 33 months of Jesus' life on earth.

Architectural features

The orthodox church is almost always east-west, and the main entrance to the building is at the west end. This symbolizes the pilgrim's going from the darkness of sin (West) to the light of truth (East). One or more turrets (round or steeply pitched roofs) are usually found on the roofs of Orthodox churches. At the top of the turret, there is an onion shaped dome, which is a unique feature of the Russian Orthodox Church. This shape reminds believers of the flame of the candle, which will burn to heaven.

In Byzantine churches, the interior furnishings and arrangements are usually separated from the nave by a screen. There is a gate in front of the altar and a small gate on each side. The doors and screens are decorated with exquisite holy portraits of biblical stories, characters and archangels. In 787, the Council of Nicaea finally declared the abolition of icon worship as heresy. This decision was believed by the later Orthodox Church. Its doctrinal basis is: because God takes the material image in Jesus Christ, it can also be shown in the picture. Like a symbolic rather than realistic art, it is an important form to express the theological ideas of the church and show the revelation of God with lines and colors, and it also shows the visualized history of the mystery of Christianity.

After the introduction of Orthodox Church into Russia, the architectural art of Byzantine church had a great impact on Russian Orthodox Church, and the St. Sophia hall became a model of Russian Orthodox Church. But in the interior of the church, the Russian Orthodox Church has a unique style. The typical arrangement is: there are many holy portraits at the altar, on which the saints and saints worshipped by the Orthodox Church are painted. In rural and urban Russia, Orthodox churches are scattered all over the country. The White Gold Cross and the onion dome, in the city's buildings, in the open field on the head, reflecting the sun. The distant and magnificent bell calls the orthodox believers in every corner of Russia. Russian churches have gone through a process from being built by Greek and other foreign architects to being built by Russian architects. Its main architectural style is generally Byzantine. The modeling style is rich, majestic, solemn and full. Indoor lighting often relies on candlelight. Byzantine onion dome changed from one end to many in the process of introducing into Russia. This is also influenced by the disorderly arrangement of the buildings of the ancient Russo religion and the emphasis on the multi angle and multi-level division of the space.

internal structure

The interior of the orthodox church is divided into several parts. The first is the enlightenment house of the ancient chapel (the enlightenment house, in Russian). In ancient times, it was a large and wide place, where new believers received education and prepared for baptism. At the same time, it was also the place where the penitent who were driven out by the sacrament stood.

sanctuary

The chapel is the main part of the church, which is separated from the holy place (altar) by a screen curtain with passage called the image screen (image wall). The walls of the sanctuary are decorated with statues and murals, and many of them are decorated with lighted lamps (lampstands). It is particularly noteworthy that in the traditional Orthodox Church there is no back bench in the church. The godfather in the church thinks that it is impolite to sit in the sacred ceremony (except for some special occasions such as education and chanting), and the open space is more conducive for more believers to make the symbolic bow and kowtow of the Orthodox Church. At the eastern end of the church is the altar (or the most holy place), which is divided into two rooms - the collection room and the chapel. On both sides of the altar, the two rooms are separated from the altar by the image screen.

Icon

The image covers the image screen, while the other images are placed in prominent places throughout the church. Murals with statues on the walls and ceiling. Orthodox believers worship, kiss and light candles in front of these images. The image has obvious importance, and the gesture and action of kowtow have special meaning. What is the importance of the icon? Isn't their Old Testament a forbidden cult or something like that?

In the early centuries of Christianity, icons were used for prayer. For example, tradition tells us that the image of the Savior existed in his lifetime (the image was not made by hand) and that the image of the Virgin Mary appeared immediately after Jesus. The religious tradition proves that at the beginning, the Orthodox Church had a clear understanding of the importance of the image, and this understanding has never changed, because this understanding comes from the doctrine of the incarnation of the son, the God of people and the Savior Jesus Christ. The use of images is based on the essence of Christianity, because Christianity was discovered by God and man, not only the Bible, but also the image of God. As the Evangelist st St. Peter Joon told people, "the word has become the flesh and exists in the middle of people." the Evangelist said, "no one has ever seen God, except the son, who is in the arms of God. The son let everyone know In other words, the son reveals the image of God. Because it is the light of God's glory and the clear portrait of God's body, the Bible presents to the world in the form of body with its own theology, the portrait of God. When St. Peter Phillips asked Jesus: Jesus, show people God. Jesus answered, "people have been with you for so long. Don't you know anyone, Philip?" Those who have seen people have seen God, so like a son in the arms of God, he and God are one after his body disappears.

The truth revealed above is revealed in Christianity, which forms the basis of Christian painting art. The image (or icon) does not conflict with the essence of Christianity, but is constantly connected with the essence of Christianity. This is from the beginning of using language and image to bring the gospel to the world through the church.

Saint Joan, a church priest in Damascus in the eighth century, explained that because of the Bible, people no longer stay in their infancy; people have grown up; God has given people the ability to distinguish, and people know what can be painted and what cannot be painted. Since the appearance of the son in the form of body, people can depict and copy his appearance, so that people can gaze at the God who is condescending for people to see. People can confidently recall the invisible God as an invisible existence, and be seen as an existence for people to be seen by bearing people's flesh and blood. The image develops with the liturgy, expressing the same doctrines as the Bible. According to the doctrine of the seventh Grand Council, the image is not regarded as a simple art, but is completely consistent with the Bible, "because the image is explained by the Bible, and the Bible becomes very clear through the image."

According to the master St. Peter basil (379 AD), "through the depiction of saints, people do not want to turn themselves into blind worshippers, because what people worship is not the material symbol, but the creator. He became tangible because of people, and saved people by pretending to be the bodies of adults. People also revere concrete objects - the wood of the blessed cross, the Gospels, the sacred relics of the saints, and the most important and purest body and blood of Jesus, all of which have the characteristics of grace and the sacred power to realize people's salvation through them. " Because the Bible is the statue, so the statue is the Bible.

The orthodox respect one

Chinese PinYin : Dong Zheng Jiao Jiao Tang