What does an inverted month on a cross mean? Crescent on an Orthodox cross: explanation of the symbol

– main symbol in Christianity, which accompanies us throughout our lives. A cross always hangs on our chest, we cross ourselves with a cross during prayer, there are images of crosses on church utensils, vestments of clergy, icons... And, of course, we cannot imagine a temple without a cross on its dome.

The widespread custom of wearing a cross among Christians appeared after the holy queen Elena in the 4th century together with his son the emperor Konstantin (it was he who stopped the persecution of Christians) organized an expedition to search for the Cross on which he was crucified Lord Jesus Christ. Around the same time, a tradition arose to decorate the roof of the temple with a cross as a symbol of the Christian faith, pointing to the sky.

Previously, we wrote about what they mean on the body Orthodox cross. Today we will tell you what kind of crosses there are on the domes of the temple.

It is worth saying right away that the cross is placed on the top of the temple according to special rules.

Do you remember which side of the world the altar in the temple is oriented towards? To the East. So, the cross on the dome is always erected in such a way that if you stand facing the cross, there will be East, left - north, on right - south, and behind - west.

On domes they are most often placed four-pointed, six-pointed or eight-pointed crosses. The cross can be either “clean”, without any images, or with additional symbolic elements.

Crescent(tsata). Below the cross we can see a crescent moon. Some mistakenly interpret this symbol as “victory over the Muslim world.” You can also hear that similar crosses with a crescent are placed in those cities where, in addition to Orthodox church, there is a mosque. This is, of course, a fallacy. In fact, this symbol has been found since the construction of ancient temples. Such a cross in its image resembles anchor- a symbol of Christians’ hope for Salvation. Also, the crescent at the bottom of the cross is similar to the Eucharistic cup.

Lily. At the ends of the crossbars there are three-petalled lily flowers. This image is called crin and is considered a symbol Holy Trinity. Three petals - the trinity of God.

Grape. Grape vines can also often be seen on crosses. Vine with berries - a gospel symbol Christ, the only source of life for man, which the Lord gives us through Participle. “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.”(John 15:1).

Thriving shoots. A cross with shoots growing from its base is called "prosperous". Such a floral ornament is a symbol of the tree of life, rebirth, and the Garden of Eden.

Drops of blood. On domed crosses there are chains with beads, which are popularly called "tears". Such beads symbolize drops of blood spilled Lord Jesus Christ on the Cross.

Pigeon on the domed crosses - a symbol Holy Spirit.

Crown. On some of the main crosses you can see a crown at the top. Such a symbol, on the one hand, indicates Heavenly King, and, on the other hand, it says that the temple was built by decree and with donations from the ruling Russian emperor.

Stars on the cross they remind us of Star of Bethlehem who led the Magi to the born Savior. A Sun in the center of the cross symbolizes the Light of Life.

Angels and Cherubs. It’s curious, but temples, like people, have their own Guardian Angels. Their images can be found on crosses, as well as in the form of statues and bas-reliefs.

Angel on the spire of the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg

The crescent on the Orthodox cross, or, to call it correctly, the tsata, symbolizes the symbol of the Lord Jesus Christ as King and High Priest. The placement of a cross with a tsata on the dome of the cathedral reminds Orthodox believers that this temple belongs to the King of kings and the Lord of lords. The crescent moon, as an element of church utensils, symbolizes the rank of the Kingdom and the high priesthood.

Crescent on an Orthodox cross has nothing to do with Islam or some kind of victory over Muslims. Orthodox crosses with a crescent moon were placed on ancient churches: the Church of the Intercession on the Nerl (1165), Demetrius Cathedral in Vladimir (1197) and others. It should be noted that the crescent was the state sign of Byzantium - in Orthodox Byzantium, tsata symbolized royal power. Apparently that's why the quote is placed in the image Prince of Kyiv Yaroslav Izyaslavich in the “Royal Chronicler” of the 16th century as a symbol of grand-ducal dignity.

In addition, in the patristic tradition There are other meanings of the crescent on the Orthodox cross.

For example:

Bethlehem cradle, who accepted the Divine Infant Christ,
eucharistic chalice, in which the Body of Christ is located,
church ship,
baptismal font

After 1453, when Constantinople was conquered by the Ottoman Turks,
the crescent became the official emblem Ottoman Empire.

Sometimes a crescent or tsata is depicted as part of the holy vestment of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. It can also be found on other ancient Russian icons: the Holy Trinity, the Savior, Holy Mother of God. This allows us to conclude that The figure on the cross is a symbol of the Lord Jesus Christ as King and High Priest. Sometimes the Orthodox cross on a church with a crescent is not eight-pointed, but four-pointed.

In one of his epistles, the Apostle Paul teaches that Christians have the opportunity to “take hold of the hope that is set before us, that is, the Cross, which is like a safe and strong anchor for the soul” (Heb. 6:18-19). This “anchor”, which at the same time symbolically covers the cross from the desecration of the pagans, and reveals to faithful Christians its true meaning - deliverance from the consequences of sin, is our strong hope.

Only the church ship is able to deliver everyone who wants it over the waves of a stormy temporary life into the quiet harbor of eternal life. On the domes of the Church of St. Sophia of Vologda (1570), the Holy Trinity Cathedral of Verkhoturye (1703), the Church of Blessed Cosmas in the city of Kostylevo, there are crosses with a bizarre ornament: twelve stars on rays emanating from the center and with a crescent below.

The placement of a cross with a tsata on the dome of the cathedral is reminiscent of
Orthodox believers that this temple belongs
King of kings and Lord of lords

The symbolism of such a cross vividly conveys the image from the revelation of John the Theologian: “And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, the moon is under her feet and on its head is a crown of 12 stars” - as a sign that, originally assembled from the 12 tribes of Israel, it was subsequently headed by 12 apostles, constituting its luminous glory.

Many crosses on the ancient and most famous Orthodox cathedrals have exactly this shape - for example, the Hagia Sophia Cathedral in Constantinople (8th century), the Hagia Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv (1152), the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir (1158), the Church of the Savior in Pereyaslavl (1152 year) and many other temples. Since the 3rd century, when for the first time four-pointed crosses appeared in the Roman catacombs, and before today the entire Orthodox East considers this form of the cross to be equal to others.

Priest Afanasy Gumerov, a resident of the Sretensky Monastery, answers about the cross with a crescent:

The main parts of the Cross (in real and symbolic meaning) there were two beams: one vertical (the largest), the other horizontal, connected to the first at a right angle. The Savior of the world was nailed to them. The Romans called it crux immissa (hammered cross). At the top of the Calvary Cross there was a small tablet - titulus (title). She is spoken of in St. Gospel: “Pilate wrote an inscription and placed it on the cross. It was written: Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews. This inscription was read by many of the Jews, because the place where Jesus was crucified was not far from the city, and it was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Roman” (John 19:19-20). The third crossbar was the foot. Without it, the body attached to the tree, hanging for many hours on only nails, could fall off.

The crescent at the base of the Cross gives it a resemblance to an anchor, which among ancient Christians was a symbol of hope, and the Church was a ship of salvation in the stormy sea of life. We find this thought in St. Apostle Paul (see Heb. 6:18-19). Some researchers see here a symbolic expression of an apocalyptic image related to Mother of God: “And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun; under her feet is the moon, and on her head is a crown of twelve stars” (Rev. 12:1). The Church calls Jesus Christ the Sun of Truth.

There is also an interpretation: the crescent is the Cup into which the Blood of the Savior flowed - a symbol of the sacrament of the Eucharist. At the upper end of the Cross, a dove is sometimes depicted - a symbol of the Holy Spirit. During the Baptism of the Lord, “John saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and descending on Him. And behold, a voice from heaven said: This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:16-17).

And more about the cross with a crescent from the site http://www.pravmir.ru

In their external shape, domed crosses often differ from the eight-pointed ones we are accustomed to. The cross on the dome expresses the idea of the temple as the House of God and the ship of Salvation and has corresponding symbolism. Questions and confusion arise especially often about the crescent (tsata), located at the bottom of the cross. What meaning does this symbol carry?

First of all, you need to keep in mind that the crescent on the Orthodox cross has nothing to do with either the Muslim religion or victory over Muslims. Crosses with the image of a tsata (crescent) decorated ancient churches: the Church of the Intercession on the Nerl (1165), Demetrius Cathedral in Vladimir (1197) and others.

There could be no talk of any victory over the Muslims then.

The crescent has been the state sign of Byzantium since ancient times, and only after 1453, when Constantinople was captured by the Turks, did this Christian symbol become the official emblem of the Ottoman Empire. In Orthodox Byzantium, tsata symbolized royal power. Apparently, this is why it is placed as a symbol of grand-ducal dignity in the image of the Kyiv prince Yaroslav Izyaslavich in the “Royal Chronicler” of the 16th century. Often the tsata (crescent) is depicted as part of the holy vestment of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. It can also be found on other icons: the Holy Trinity, the Savior, the Blessed Virgin Mary. All this gives the right to believe that the figure on the cross is a symbol of the Lord Jesus Christ as King and High Priest. Thus, the installation of a cross with a tsata on the dome of the temple reminds us that this temple belongs to the King of kings and the Lord of lords.

In addition, from ancient times - from Christ and the first centuries of Christianity - another meaning of the cross with a crescent came to us. In one of his epistles, the Apostle Paul teaches that Christians have the opportunity to “take hold of the hope that is set before us, that is, the Cross, which is like a safe and strong anchor for the soul” (Heb. 6:18-19). This “anchor”, which at the same time symbolically covers the cross from the desecration of the pagans, and reveals to faithful Christians its true meaning - deliverance from the consequences of sin, is our strong hope. Only a church ship has the power to deliver everyone through the waves of a stormy temporary life to the quiet haven of eternal life.

On the domes of the Church of St. Sophia of Vologda (1570), the Holy Trinity Cathedral of Verkhoturye (1703), the Church of Blessed Cosmas in the city of Kostylevo, there are crosses with a bizarre ornament: twelve stars on rays emanating from the center and with a crescent below. The symbolism of such a cross clearly conveys the image from the revelation of John the Theologian: “And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of 12 stars” - as a sign that, originally assembled from 12 tribes Israel, it was subsequently led by 12 apostles, who constituted its luminous glory.

Sometimes the cross on a temple (with or without a crescent) is not eight-pointed, but four-pointed. Many crosses on the ancient and most famous Orthodox cathedrals have exactly this shape - for example, the Hagia Sophia Cathedral in Constantinople (8th century), the Hagia Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv (1152), the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir (1158), the Church of the Savior in Pereyaslavl (1152 year) and many other temples. Starting from the 3rd century, when four-pointed crosses first appeared in the Roman catacombs, and until today, the entire Orthodox East considers this form of cross to be equal to others.

In addition to the above meanings of the crescent, there are others in the patristic tradition - for example, that it is the Bethlehem cradle that received the Divine Infant Christ, the Eucharistic cup in which the Body of Christ is located, the church ship and the baptismal font.

That's how many meanings and mysterious spiritual meaning in the cross that shines above the dome of the temple.

First of all, you need to keep in mind that the crescent on the Orthodox cross has nothing to do with neither to the Muslim religion, nor to victory over the Muslims. Crosses with the image of a tsata (crescent) decorated ancient churches: the Church of the Intercession on the Nerl (1165), Demetrius Cathedral in Vladimir (1197) and others.

There could be no talk of any victory over the Muslims then.

The crescent has been the state sign of Byzantium since ancient times, and only after 1453, when Constantinople was captured by the Turks, did this Christian symbol become the official emblem of the Ottoman Empire. In Orthodox Byzantium, tsata symbolized royal power. Apparently, this is why it is placed as a symbol of grand-ducal dignity in the image of the Kyiv prince Yaroslav Izyaslavich in the “Royal Chronicler” of the 16th century. Often the tsata (crescent) is depicted as part of the holy vestment of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. It can also be found on other icons: the Holy Trinity, the Savior, the Blessed Virgin Mary. All this gives the right to believe that the tsata on the cross is a symbol of the Lord Jesus Christ as King and High Priest. Thus, the installation of a cross with a tsata on the dome of the temple reminds us that this temple belongs to the King of kings and the Lord of lords.

Sometimes the cross on a temple (with or without a crescent) is not eight-pointed, but four-pointed. Many crosses on the ancient and most famous Orthodox cathedrals have exactly this form - for example, the Hagia Sophia Cathedral in Constantinople (8th century), the Hagia Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv (1152), the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir (1158), the Church of the Savior in Pereyaslavl (1152 year) and many other temples. Starting from the 3rd century, when four-pointed crosses first appeared in the Roman catacombs, and until today, the entire Orthodox East considers this form of cross to be equal to others.

That's how many meanings and mysterious spiritual meaning there are in the cross that shines above the dome of the temple.