What do the colors of the vestments of the clergy mean. The color of the vestments of Orthodox clergy

If for worldly affairs at important solemn occasions they dress in the best clothes, then when serving God they put on special clothes. Sacred garments are the garments used in worship. Each rank of clergymen and clergymen are assigned their own special clothes during Divine services. At the same time, the highest rank of clergy always has vestments of lower ranks.

The deacon wears surplice- long clothes with wide sleeves, altar servers and readers are also dressed in surplice, orarion- a long wide ribbon that he wears over a surplice on his left shoulder. The deacon puts on his hands handrails- short sleeves covering only the wrist.

The priest wears underdress(surplice with narrow sleeves), stole- the orarion folded in two, means that the priest is given double grace, greater than the deacon, according to the charters of the Church, a priest without an stole, like a deacon without an orarion, cannot perform a single service. Belt-clothes worn over the stole and vest and signifies readiness to serve the Lord and Divine power, strengthening the clergy in their service. Gaiter and mace- these are clothes worn on the belt at the hip. The first is a quadrangular, somewhat oblong board, and the second is a square board. phelonion, or riza This is a long, round sleeveless robe with a hole for the head, the phelonion reminds the priests of the garment of truth, which they should wear as ministers of Christ. On their heads during worship, priests wear skufii- small hats made of cloth, or kamilavki- high velvet hats, which are given as an award or distinction. Unlike deacons, priests wear a pectoral cross on their vestments and on their home clothes.

The vestments of the bishop are all priestly vestments, only instead of the phelonion, the bishop wears sakkos, over it omophorion. The omophorion means that lost sheep, which Christ, the Good Shepherd, took on his shoulders to carry to the Father. Miter- makes up the head decoration of the bishop, it serves as a symbol of pastoral power, the skuf and kamilavki given to priests have the same meaning. Panagia- a small round image of the Savior or the Mother of God, worn by bishops on the chest. wand, or staff, used by bishops during the priesthood, indicates their pastoral duty: to direct their flock on the path of salvation, not to allow them to go astray, and to repel the spiritual wolves that attack them. Eaglets-round rugs depicting an eagle flying over the city. They rely during the service under the feet of the bishop and remind him that he must strive for heaven with his thoughts and deeds. The bishop wears a pectoral cross on his chest.

Part of the church liturgical symbolism is the variety of colors of priestly vestments. Their colors are all the colors of the rainbow: red, yellow, orange, green, blue, indigo, violet; and also white.
White color, is a symbol of the Divine uncreated light. In white vestments, priests serve on great holidays: the Nativity of Christ, Theophany, Ascension, Transfiguration, Paschal Matins begins in them. At baptism and burial, the priest is also dressed in white.
Red color after the white one, the Easter service continues and they serve in red vestments until the feast of the Ascension. This color is a symbol of the inexpressible, fiery love of God for the human race. But red is also the color of blood, so services in honor of the martyrs are held in red vestments.
Yellow, or gold and orange colors are symbols of glory, majesty and dignity. In such vestments they serve on Sundays and on the days of memory of the prophets, apostles and saints.
Green color adopted in the days of remembrance of the like and testifies that their monastic feat revives a person by union with Christ and elevates him to heaven. In green colors they serve on the day of the Holy Trinity, Palm Sunday, Monday of the Holy Spirit.
Cyan or blue color Mother of God holidays. This is the color of the sky, and it corresponds to the doctrine of the Mother of God, who carried Christ the Celestial in her womb.
Purple adopted on the days of the remembrance of the Cross of the Lord.
Into black Priests vest in the days of Great Lent. This is a symbol of renunciation of pomp, worldly fuss, the color of repentance and crying.

Also, different robes are used for worship and for everyday wear. Worship robes look luxurious. As a rule, expensive brocade is used for sewing such vestments, which is decorated with crosses. There are three types of priesthood. And each has its own type of attire.

Deacon

This is the lowest rank of a priest. Deacons do not have the right to independently perform the sacraments and divine services, but they help bishops or priests.

The vestments of the clergy-deacons conducting divine services consist of a surplice, an orari and a handrail.

The surplice is a long garment that does not have cuts in the back and front. A special hole has been made for the head. The surplice has wide sleeves. This garment is considered a symbol of the purity of the soul. Such vestments are not unique to deacons. The surplice can be worn by both psalmists and those laity who simply regularly serve in the temple.

The orarion is presented in the form of a wide ribbon, usually made of the same fabric as the surplice. This robe is a symbol of God's grace, which the deacon received in the Sacred Sacrament. The orarion is worn on the left shoulder over the surplice. It can also be worn by hierodeacons, archdeacons and protodeacons.

The vestments of the priest also include handrails designed to tighten the sleeves of the surplice. They look like narrowed oversleeves. This attribute symbolizes the ropes that were wrapped around the hands of Jesus Christ when He was crucified on the cross. As a rule, handrails are made of the same fabric as the surplice. They also show crosses.

What is the priest wearing?

The clothes of a priest are different from those of ordinary ministers. During the service, he should wear the following robes: cassock, cassock, handrails, gaiter, belt, stole.

The cassock is worn only by priests and bishops. All this can be clearly seen in the photo. Clothes may differ slightly, but the principle is always the same.

Cassock (cassock)

The cassock is a kind of surplice. It is believed that the cassock and cassock were worn by Jesus Christ. Such robes are a symbol of detachment from the world. The monks in the ancient church wore such almost beggarly clothes. Over time, she came into use and the entire clergy. The cassock is a long, toe-length men's dress with narrow sleeves. As a rule, its color is either white or yellow. The bishop's cassock has special ribbons (gammats), which are used to tighten the sleeves around the wrist. This symbolizes the streams of blood pouring from the perforated hands of the Savior. It is believed that it was in such a tunic that Christ always walked the earth.

Stole

An epitrachelion is a long ribbon that is wound around the neck. Both ends should go down. This is a symbol of double grace, which is provided to the priest for worship and sacred sacraments. Epitrachelion is worn over a cassock or cassock. This is a mandatory attribute, without which priests or bishops do not have the right to conduct sacred rites. Seven crosses should be sewn on each stole. The order of the arrangement of the crosses on the stole also has a certain meaning. On each half, which goes down, there are three crosses, which symbolize the number of sacraments performed by the priest. One is in the middle, that is, on the neck. This is a symbol of the fact that the bishop conveyed to the priest the blessing to perform the sacrament. It also indicates that the minister has taken on the burden of serving Christ. You can see that the priest's vestments are not just clothes, but a whole symbolism. A belt is put on over the cassock and stole, which symbolizes the towel of Jesus Christ. He wore it on his belt and used it when washing the feet of his disciples at the Last Supper.

cassock

In some sources, the cassock is called a robe or felon. This is the outer garment of a priest. The cassock looks like a long, wide, sleeveless dress. It has a hole for the head and a large front cutout that almost reaches the waist. This allows the priest to freely move his hands during the performance of the sacrament. The shoulders of the cassock are hard and high. The upper edge at the back resembles a triangle or trapezoid, which is located above the shoulders of the priest.

The cassock symbolizes the scarlet. It is also called the garment of truth. It is believed that it was Christ who wore it. Over the cassock the priest wears

The legguard is the symbol of the Zanpakutō. He is given to the clergy for special zeal and long service. It is worn on the right thigh in the form of a ribbon thrown over the shoulder and freely falling down.

The priest also puts on a pectoral cross over the cassock.

Clothes of a bishop (bishop)

The robes of a bishop are similar to those worn by a priest. He also wears a cassock, stole, cuffs and a belt. However, the cassock of a bishop is called a sakkos, and a club is put on instead of a loincloth. In addition to these robes, the bishop is also dressed in a miter, panagia and omophorion. Below are photos of the bishop's clothes.

Sakkos

This attire was worn even in the ancient Jewish environment. At that time, the sakkos was made from the coarsest material and was considered a garment worn in sorrow, repentance and fasting. The sakkos looked like a piece of coarse cloth with a cutout for the head, completely covering the front and back. The fabric is not sewn on the sides, the sleeves are wide, but short. Epitrachelion and cassock look through the sakkos.

In the 15th century, sakkos were worn exclusively by metropolitans. From the moment the patriarchate was established in Russia, patriarchs also began to wear them. As for spiritual symbolism, this robe, like the cassock, symbolizes the purple robe of Jesus Christ.

Mace

The vestment of a priest (bishop) is incomplete without a club. This board is shaped like a rhombus. It is hung at one corner on the left thigh over the sakkos. Just like the legguard, the mace is considered a symbol of the spiritual sword. This is God's word, which should always be on the lips of a minister. This is a more significant attribute than a gaiter, since it also symbolizes a small piece of towel that the Savior used to wash the feet of his disciples.

Until the end of the 16th century, in the Russian Orthodox Church, the club served only as an attribute of bishops. But from the 18th century, they began to give it out as a reward to archimandrites. The liturgical vestment of a bishop symbolizes the seven sacraments performed.

Panagia and omophorion

An omophorion is a long ribbon of cloth adorned with crosses.

It is worn on the shoulders so that one end descends in front and the other in the back. A bishop cannot perform services without an omophorion. It is worn over the sakkos. Symbolically, the omophorion represents a sheep that has gone astray. The good shepherd brought her into the house in his arms. In a broad sense, this means the salvation of the entire human race by Jesus Christ. The bishop, dressed in an omophorion, personifies the Savior Shepherd, who saves lost sheep and brings them to the house of the Lord in his own hands.

A panagia is also worn over the sakkos.

This is a round badge, framed with colored stones, which depicts Jesus Christ or the Mother of God.

The eagle can also be attributed to the vestments of the bishop. A rug depicting an eagle is placed under the feet of the bishop during the service. Symbolically, the eagle says that the bishop must renounce the earthly and rise to the heavenly. The bishop must stand on the eagle everywhere, thus always being on the eagle. In other words, the eagle constantly carries the bishop.

Also during worship, bishops use a symbol of the highest pastoral authority. The rod is also used by archimandrites. In this case, the staff indicates that they are the abbots of the monasteries.

Hats

The headdress of a priest conducting worship is called a miter. In everyday life, the clergy wear a skufia.

The miter is decorated with multi-colored stones and images. This is a symbol of the crown of thorns placed on the head of Jesus Christ. The miter is considered to be an ornament to the priest's head. At the same time, it resembles the crown of thorns with which the head of the Savior was covered. Putting on a miter is a whole ritual in which a special prayer is read. It is also read during the wedding. Therefore, the miter is a symbol of the golden crowns that are put on the heads of the righteous in the Kingdom of Heaven, who are present at the moment of the union of the Savior with the Church.

Until 1987, the Russian Orthodox Church forbade everyone to wear it, except for archbishops, metropolitans and patriarchs. The Holy Synod at a meeting in 1987 allowed all bishops to wear a miter. In some churches, it is permissible to wear it, decorated with a cross, even for subdeacons.

Mitra comes in several varieties. One of them is the crown. Such a miter has a crown of 12 petals above the lower belt. Until the 8th century, this type of miter was worn by all clergy.

Kamilavka - a headdress in the form of a purple cylinder. Skofya is used for everyday wear. This headdress is worn regardless of degree and rank. It looks like a small round black hat that folds easily. Her folds around her head form

Since 1797, the velvet skufia has been given to members of the clergy as a reward, just like the cuisse.

The headdress of a priest was also called a klobuk.

Black hoods were worn by monks and nuns. The hood looks like a cylinder, expanded upwards. Three wide ribbons are fixed on it, which fall on the back. The hood symbolizes salvation through obedience. Hieromonks may also wear black hoods during worship.

Robes for everyday wear

Everyday vestments are also symbolic. The main ones are a cassock and a cassock. Ministers leading a monastic lifestyle must wear a black cassock. The rest can wear a cassock of brown, dark blue, gray or white. Cassocks can be made of linen, wool, cloth, satin, chesuchi, sometimes silk.

Most often, the cassock is made in black. Less common are white, cream, grey, brown, and navy blue. The cassock and cassock may have a lining. In everyday life there are cassocks resembling a coat. They are complemented by velvet or fur on the collar. For winter, they sew cassocks on a warm lining.

In the cassock, the priest must conduct all divine services, with the exception of the liturgy. During the liturgy and other special moments, when the Ustav compels the clergyman to put on full liturgical attire, the priest takes it off. In this case, he puts on a chasuble on the cassock. During the service, the deacon is also wearing a cassock, over which a surplice is put on. The bishop over it is obliged to wear various chasubles. In exceptional cases, at some prayer services, the bishop may conduct the service in a cassock with a mantle, on which an epitrachelion is put on. Such clothing of a priest is an obligatory basis for liturgical vestments.

What is the significance of the color of a priest's vestment?

By the color of the clergyman's attire, one can speak of various holidays, events or memorial days. If the priest is dressed in gold, this means that the service takes place on the day of the memory of the prophet or apostle. Pious kings or princes may also be venerated. On Lazarus Saturday, the priest must also dress in gold or white. In the golden robe, you can see the minister at the Sunday service.

White is a symbol of divinity. It is customary to wear white robes on such holidays as the Nativity of Christ, the Presentation of Christ, the Transfiguration, as well as at the beginning of the divine service on Easter. White color is the light emanating from the tomb of the Savior during the Resurrection.

A priest puts on a white robe when he conducts the sacrament of baptism and weddings. During the initiation ceremony, white robes are also worn.

Blue symbolizes purity and innocence. Clothes of this color are worn during the holidays dedicated to the Most Holy Theotokos, as well as on the days of veneration of the icons of the Mother of God.

Metropolitans also wear blue robes.

On Great Lent and on the feast of the Exaltation of the Great Cross, the clergy wear a purple or dark red cassock. Bishops also wear purple headdresses. The red color commemorates the commemoration of the martyrs. During the service held on Easter, the priests are also dressed in red robes. In the days of remembrance of the martyrs, this color symbolizes their blood.

Green symbolizes eternal life. Servants wear green robes on the days of remembrance of various ascetics. The robes of the patriarchs are of the same color.

Dark colors (dark blue, dark red, dark green, black) are mainly used on days of mourning and repentance. It is also customary to wear dark robes during Lent. On feast days, during fasting, robes decorated with colored trimmings may be used.

On the spiritual symbolism of color - Archimandrite Nazariy (Omelianenko), teacher of liturgy at KDAiS.

- Father, please explain why the priest is in yellow, then in white, then in blue, and also green, red? .. Does each color have its own symbolic meaning? How many colors are used in liturgical vestments?

– According to the Church Charter, 7 colors are used during divine services in the Orthodox Church. Each color has a symbolic meaning. For example, in the ministries of the Catholic Church, 5 colors are used, but their use differs from the Orthodox tradition.

Gold

Let's start with gold or yellow. In what cases is this color used in vestments?

- Golden, yellow color accompanies the great Lord's holidays, Sundays. Also, in the vestment of these flowers, everyday services are performed. The golden or yellow color scheme expresses the radiance of the glory of God.

White

What does the white symbolize?

It is the color of celebration and joy. It is used on the Twelfth Feasts of the Lord, Pascha (at Matins), on the feasts of the incorporeal Forces and the days of remembrance of the virgin saints, emphasizing the purity of their feat.

Red

What does red tell us? What days are red vestments used?

– Red is a special color in the Russian Orthodox Church. Before Patriarch Nikon, services of all the Lord's holidays were celebrated in scarlet color. He was considered the most solemn. Now the red color is used at the Easter service, during the Easter period of the afterfeast, on the days of the memory of the martyrs.

Blue

- The color of heaven, blue color,
I loved from an early age.
As a child, he meant to me
The blue of other beginnings...

I remembered the lines of the poem translated by B. Pasternak.

Blue robes should mean something very touching and tender. In my opinion, they are worn on the Mother of God holidays. Is it so?

- Yes, indeed, blue or blue is the color of heavenly purity. That is why it is used during the divine services of the Mother of God holidays.

Violet

– Violet is the color of episcopal and archbishop’s robes, and on what special days is this color still used?

- In addition to episcopal robes, purple is used for worship on the Sundays of Great Lent. Also traditionally in purple they serve on the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross.

Green

- Green is used for Trinity. What is it connected with? And on what other days can you see priests in green vestments?

– It is the practice of our Church to celebrate Divine Liturgy on the Day of the Holy Trinity and on the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem in green vestments, since this color symbolizes the grace of the Holy Spirit. Also in the green color of the vestments, services are performed on holidays in honor of the saints and Christ for the sake of the holy fools.

Black

– Is black the color of fasting and repentance?

– Black is the everyday color of Great Lent and Holy Week. In black vestments, the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts is celebrated, while it is not customary to serve the full Liturgy in this color.

– Maybe there are other colors that I didn’t mention?

- Sometimes certain shades of colors are used: not strictly yellow, but orange, not red, but purple, etc. When choosing a liturgical color, the priest always focuses on the main range of 7 colors, while using their shades or combinations.

– Should parishioners also try to dress in appropriate colors?

—Sometimes there is a practice in parishes when pious Christians, mostly women, try to match part of their wardrobe to the liturgical color (at least a headscarf). This is only a pious tradition that does not contradict the Charter, and therefore has the right to exist.

Interviewed by Natalya Goroshkova

Anyone who has attended an Orthodox service at least once will certainly pay attention to the beauty and solemnity of the vestments. Color diversity is an integral part of church liturgical symbolism, a means of influencing the feelings of those who pray.

The colors of the vestments are made up of all the colors of the rainbow: red, yellow, orange, green, blue, indigo, violet; their totality is white, and the opposite of the latter is black. Each color is assigned to a certain group of holidays or fasting days.

White color, which combines all the colors of the rainbow, a symbol of the Divine uncreated light. In white vestments they serve on the great feasts of the Nativity of Christ, Theophany, Ascension, Transfiguration, Annunciation; they begin Easter matins. White chasubles are relied upon for. performing baptisms and burials.

Red color, following the white, continues the Easter service and remains unchanged until the feast of the Ascension. This is a symbol of the inexpressible, fiery love of God for the human race. But it is also the color of blood, and therefore services are held in red or crimson vestments in honor of the martyrs.

Yellow (gold) and orange colors are the colors of glory, majesty and dignity. They are assimilated to Sundays, as to the days of the Lord - the King of Glory; in addition, in golden robes, the Church celebrates the days of His special anointed ones - prophets, apostles and saints.

Green color- fusion of yellow and blue. It was adopted in the days of the saints and testifies that their monastic feat revived a person by union with Christ (yellow) and elevates him to heaven (blue). In green colors of all shades, according to ancient tradition, they serve on Palm Sunday, on the day of the Holy Trinity and on the Monday of the Holy Spirit.

Blue, or blue- the color of the feasts of the Most Holy Theotokos. This is the color of the sky, it corresponds to the teaching about the Mother of God, who contained the Celestial in Her Most Pure Womb. Violet color is adopted in the days of the memory of the Cross of the Lord. It combines red - the color of the blood of Christ and the Resurrection, and blue, indicating that the Cross opened the way to heaven for us. Black or dark brown color is closest in spirit to the days of Great Lent. It is a symbol of renunciation of worldly fuss, the color of weeping and repentance.

Symbolism of flowers

The color scheme of liturgical vestments consists of the following primary colors: white, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet, black. All of them symbolize the spiritual meanings of the celebrated saints and sacred events. On Orthodox icons, colors in the depiction of faces, robes, objects, the background itself, or “light”, as it was accurately called in antiquity, also have a deeply symbolic meaning. The same applies to wall paintings, decoration of temples. Based on the established traditional colors of modern liturgical vestments, from the testimonies of the Holy Scriptures, the works of the holy fathers, from the surviving samples of ancient painting, one can give general theological interpretations of the symbolism of color.

The most important feasts of the Orthodox Church and sacred events, to which certain colors of robes have been adopted, can be grouped into six main groups.

1. A group of holidays and days of memory of the Lord Jesus Christ, prophets, apostles and saints. The color of the vestments is gold (yellow), all shades;
2. A group of holidays and days of memory of the Most Holy Theotokos, incorporeal forces, virgins and virgins. The color of the vestments is blue and white;
3. A group of holidays and days of remembrance of the Cross of the Lord. The color of the vestments is purple or dark red;
4. A group of holidays and days of remembrance of the martyrs. The color of the vestments is red. (On Maundy Thursday, the color of the vestments is dark red, although the entire decoration of the altar remains black, and there is a white veil on the throne);
5. A group of holidays and days of remembrance of saints, ascetics, holy fools. The color of the vestments is green. The Day of the Holy Trinity, the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem, the day of the Holy Spirit are celebrated, as a rule, in green vestments of all shades;
6. During fasting, the color of vestments is dark blue, purple, dark green, dark red, black. The last color is used mainly during the days of Great Lent. On the first week of this Lent and on weekdays of other weeks, the color of the vestments is black; on Sundays and holidays - dark with gold or colored trim.

Burials are usually performed in white vestments.

In ancient times, the Orthodox Church did not have black liturgical vestments, although the everyday clothes of the clergy (especially monastics) were black. In ancient times, in the Greek and Russian Churches, according to the Charter, during Great Lent they dressed in “crimson robes” - in vestments of a dark red color. In Russia, for the first time, it was officially proposed that, if possible, the St. Petersburg clergy wear black robes in 1730 to participate in the funeral of Peter II. Since then, black vestments have been used in funeral and Lenten services.

In the canon of liturgical vestments, orange has no “own place”. However, it has been present in the Church since ancient times. This color is very subtle, and not every eye perceives it correctly. Being a combination of red and yellow colors, orange almost constantly slips in fabrics: with a tint towards yellow, it is perceived as yellow (gold often gives an orange tint), and with a predominance of red - as red. Such instability of the orange color: deprived it of the opportunity to take a certain place in a number of generally accepted colors for vestments. But in practice, it is often found in church vestments, which are considered either yellow or red.

Given this remark about the orange color, it is easy to see that in church vestments there is white as a symbol of light, all seven colors of the sunlight spectrum and black.

Church liturgical literature keeps complete silence about the symbolism of flowers. Icon-painting "facial originals" indicate what color of robes should be written on the icons of this or that holy person, but do not explain why. In this regard, the "decoding" of the symbolic meaning of flowers in the Church is rather difficult. However, some indications of the Holy Scriptures. The Old and New Testaments, interpretations of John of Damascus, Sophronius of Jerusalem, Simeon of Thessalonica, creations that are associated with the name of Dionysius the Areopagite, some remarks in the acts of the Ecumenical and Local Councils make it possible to establish the key principles for deciphering color symbolism. The works of modern secular scientists also help this. Many valuable indications on this subject are contained in the article by our Russian scientist V. V. Bychkov “The aesthetic meaning of color in Eastern Christian art” (Questions of the History and Theory of Aesthetics. Moscow State University, 1975, pp. 129–145.). The author bases his conclusions on the data of history, archeology and interpretations of the above teachers of the Church. N. B. Bakhilina builds her work on other sources (N. B. Bakhilina. History of color terms in Russian. M., Nauka, 1975.). The material for her book is the Russian language in the monuments of writing and folklore from the 11th century. up to the present. The remarks about the symbolic meaning of colors by this author do not contradict Bychkov's judgments, and in some cases directly confirm them. Both authors refer to extensive research literature.

The interpretation of the main meanings of colors in church symbolism, proposed below, is given taking into account modern scientific research in this area.

In the established canon of church liturgical vestments, we essentially have two phenomena - white and all seven primary colors of the spectrum from which it consists (or into which it decomposes), and black as the absence of light, a symbol of non-existence, death, mourning or renunciation of worldly vanity and wealth. (N. B. Bakhilina notes in this book that in the minds of Russian people from ancient times, black had two different symbolic meanings. In contrast to white, it meant something belonging to the “dark forces”, “a host of demons”, death in one in its own sense, and monastic clothes as a sign of humility and repentance - in another (p. 29-31).

The spectrum of sunlight is the colors of the rainbow. The seven-color rainbow also forms the basis of the color scheme of ancient icons. The rainbow, this amazing beauty of its phenomenon, was presented by God to Noah as a sign of "an everlasting covenant between God and between the earth and between every living soul in all flesh that is on earth" (Gen. 9, 16). A rainbow, like an arc or a bridge thrown between some two shores or edges, also means a connection between the Old and New Testaments and a “bridge” between temporary and eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven.

This connection (in both meanings) is carried out by Christ and in Christ as an Intercessor for the whole human race, so that it would no longer be destroyed by the waves of the flood, but would find salvation in the Incarnate Son of God. From this point of view, the rainbow is nothing but an image of the radiance of the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. In Revelation, the Apostle John the Theologian sees the Lord Almighty sitting on the throne, “and around the throne there is a rainbow” (Rev. 4:3). Elsewhere he sees “a mighty angel descending from heaven, clothed with a cloud; over his head was a rainbow” (Rev. 10:1). The Evangelist Mark, describing the Transfiguration of the Lord, says that “His clothes became shining, very white as snow” (Mark 9:3). And the snow, when shining brightly in the sun, gives, as you know, iridescent overflows.

The latter is especially important to note, because in church symbolism white is not just one of many other colors, it is a symbol of the Divine uncreated light, shimmering with all the colors of the rainbow, as if containing all these colors.

External, material, earthly light has always been considered by the Church only as an image and a sign of the immaterial Divine light. Indeed, if there is and cannot be anything external that would not be an invisible, spiritual phenomenon in the visible substance, then the light and the colors that make it up must contain reflections of certain Divine truths and phenomena, be images of those colors that in areas of heavenly being are inherent in certain spiritual phenomena and persons. The Revelation of John the Evangelist is replete with an amazing array of color details. Let's note the main ones. Saints and angels in the realm of heavenly life are clothed in white robes of Divine light, and the "Lamb's wife" - the Church, is clothed in the same light garments. This light common to Divine holiness is, as it were, revealed in the many colors of the rainbow, and in the radiance around the throne of the Almighty, and in the brilliance of various precious stones and gold, of which the "New Jerusalem" consists, spiritually also meaning the Church - "the wife of the Lamb." The Lord Jesus Christ appears either in a podira (the Old Testament vestment of the high priest, which Aaron had blue), then in a robe of the color of blood (red), which corresponds to the shedding of the blood of the Son of God for the salvation of the human race and the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ constantly nourishes the Church with His Blood in the sacrament of Communion. The angels are girded around their chests with golden belts, on the heads of Christ and the elders-priests surrounding Him, the Seer sees golden crowns.

Gold, due to its solar brilliance, is in church symbolism the same sign of Divine light as white. It also has a special semantic meaning - royal glory, dignity, wealth. However, this symbolic meaning of gold is spiritually combined with its first meaning as an image of "Divine Light", "Sun of Truth" and "Light of the World". The Lord Jesus Christ is the “Light from the Light” (God the Father), so that the concepts of the royal dignity of the Heavenly King and the Divine light inherent in Him are united at the level of the idea of ​​the One God in the Trinity, the Creator and the Almighty.

V. V. Bychkov writes about it in this article as follows: “Light played an important role at almost any level of Eastern Christian culture. The whole mystical path of "knowledge" of the root cause in one form or another was associated with the contemplation of the "Divine Light" in oneself. The "transformed" person was conceived as "enlightened". Light, illumination, lighting of various lamps and candles at certain moments of the service, lighting motifs - all this was of great importance in the structure of the service - the liturgical path of familiarization with higher knowledge. The "Canon of Matins" ended with the exclamation of the primate: "Glory to Thee, who showed us the light!" Both the light of the sun (sunrise) and the light of truth were meant, for Jesus Himself said of Himself: “I am the light of the world” (John 9:5). Therefore, gold is a stable symbol of truth.”

The same V.V. Bychkov notes and emphasizes that in icon painting the Divine light was symbolized not only by gold, but also by white, which means the radiance of eternal life and purity (a similar semantic meaning of the word “white” in the Old Russian language is also noted by N.B. Bakhilin) ​​as opposed to the black color of hell, death, spiritual darkness. Therefore, in icon painting, only images of the cave were painted over with blackness, where the Born Infant of God rests in white shrouds, the coffin, from which the resurrected Lazarus emerges in white shrouds, the hole of hell, from the depths of which the righteous are expelled by the Risen Christ (also in white shrouds). And when it was necessary to depict something on the icons that had a black color in everyday earthly life, they tried to replace this color with some other. For example, black horses were painted blue;

It should be noted that, for a similar reason, brown was also avoided in ancient icon painting, for it is essentially the color of "earth" and dirt. And when we sometimes see brown on ancient icons, we can think that the painter still had in mind a dark yellow, ocher color, he strove to convey some kind of corporality, but not earthly, damaged by sin.

As for the pure yellow color, in icon painting and liturgical vestments it is predominantly a synonym, an image of gold, but in itself, it does not directly replace the white color, as gold can replace it.

There are three independent colors in the rainbow of colors, from which the other four are usually formed. These are red, yellow and blue (blue). This refers to the dyes that were usually used in the old days in icon painting, as well as the dyes that are most common in the everyday life of modern painters, “ordinary”. For many modern chemical dyes can give completely different, unexpected effects when combined. In the presence of "ancient" or "ordinary" dyes, the artist can, having red, yellow and blue paints, get green, purple, orange, blue by combining them. If he does not have red, yellow and blue colors, he cannot get them by mixing colors of other colors. Similar color effects are obtained by mixing radiation of different colors of the spectrum with the help of modern devices - colorimeters.

Thus, the seven primary colors of the rainbow (spectrum) correspond to the mysterious number seven, put by God in the orders of heavenly and earthly existence, - the six days of the creation of the world and the seventh - the day of the Lord's rest; the Trinity and the Four Gospels, the seven sacraments of the Church; seven lamps in the heavenly temple, etc. And the presence of three non-derivative and four derivative colors in paints corresponds to the ideas about the uncreated God in the Trinity and the creation created by Him.

“God is love”, manifested to the world especially in the fact that the Son of God, being incarnate, suffered and shed His Blood for the salvation of the world, washed away the sins of mankind with His Blood. God is a consuming fire. The Lord reveals himself to Moses in the fire of the burning bush, guides Israel with a pillar of fire to the promised land. This allows us to attribute the red color, as the color of fiery love and fire, to a symbol, mainly associated with the idea of ​​the Hypostasis of God the Father.

The Son of God is "the radiance of the glory of the Father", "King of the world", "Bishop of future blessings". These concepts most of all correspond to the color of gold (yellow) - the color of royal and episcopal dignity.

The hypostasis of the Holy Spirit is well matched by the blue color of the sky, eternally pouring the gifts of the Holy Spirit and His grace. The material sky is a reflection of the spiritual sky - the immaterial region of heavenly existence. The Holy Spirit is called the King of Heaven.

The Persons of the Holy Trinity are one in their Essence, so that, according to the teaching of the Orthodox Church, the Son is in the Father and the Spirit, the Father is in the Son and the Spirit, the Spirit is in the Father and the Son. Therefore, if we take colors as symbols of the Trinity, then any of the colors can symbolically reflect ideas about any of the Persons of the Triune Godhead. All providential actions of God contain the participation of all Persons of the Trinity. But there are Divine acts in which either God the Father, or God the Son, or God the Holy Spirit are predominantly glorified. So, in the Old Testament, the glory of God the Father - the Creator and Provider of the world - is most noticeable. In the earthly life and the feat of the Cross of Jesus Christ, God the Son is glorified. At Pentecost and the subsequent outpouring of grace, the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth, is glorified in the Church.

Accordingly, the red color can express mainly ideas about God the Father, gold (yellow) - about God the Son, light blue (blue) - about God the Holy Spirit. These colors, of course, can and do have special, different semantic symbolic meanings, depending on the spiritual context of the icon, wall painting, ornament. But even in these cases, when studying the meaning of a work, one should not completely neglect the main meanings of these three basic, non-derivative colors. This makes it possible to interpret the meaning of church vestments.

The feast of holidays - Easter of Christ begins in white vestments as a sign of the Divine light that shone from the Tomb of the Resurrected Savior. But already the Paschal liturgy, and then the whole week, are served in red robes, marking the triumph of God's inexpressible fiery love for the human race, manifested in the Redeeming Feat of the Son of God. In some churches, it is customary at Easter Matins to change vestments for each of the eight canons, so that the priest appears each time in robes of a different color. It makes sense. The play of rainbow colors is very appropriate for this celebration of celebrations.

Sundays, the memory of the apostles, prophets, saints are celebrated in golden (yellow) robes, since this is directly related to the idea of ​​Christ as the King of Glory and the Eternal Hierarch and those of His servants who in the Church marked His presence and had the fullness of grace the highest degree of the priesthood.

The feasts of the Mother of God are marked by the blue color of the vestments because the Ever-Virgin, the chosen vessel of the grace of the Holy Spirit, was twice overshadowed by His influx - both at the Annunciation and at Pentecost. Denoting the purely spirituality of the Most Holy Theotokos, the blue color at the same time symbolizes Her heavenly purity and purity. Blue is also a color of high energy, which corresponds to the idea of ​​the power of the Holy Spirit and His action.

But on icons, the Mother of God, as a rule, is depicted in a purple (dark red, cherry) veil, worn over dark blue or green robes. The fact is that purple robes, crimson, along with gold, were in ancient times the clothes of kings and queens. Iconography in this case denotes by the color of the veil that the Mother of God is the Queen of Heaven.

The holidays, where the direct action of the Holy Spirit is glorified - the Day of the Holy Trinity and the Day of the Holy Spirit, are not blue, as one might expect, but green. This color is formed by a combination of blue and yellow colors, signifying the Holy Spirit and God the Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, which exactly corresponds in meaning to how the Lord fulfilled His promise to send from the Father to the Church united with Christ and in Christ the Holy Spirit, “the Lord, the life-giving ". Everything that has life is created by the will of the Father through the Son and quickened by the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the tree is a symbol of eternal life both in the Holy Scriptures and in the church consciousness. So the usual earthly greenery of trees, forests and fields has always been perceived by religious feeling as a symbol of life, spring, renewal, and revitalization.

If the spectrum of sunlight is presented in the form of a circle so that its ends are connected, then it turns out that the violet color is the mediastinum of two opposite ends of the spectrum - red and blue (blue). In paints, violet is the color formed by combining these two opposite colors. Thus, the violet color combines the beginning and end of the light spectrum. This color is adopted by the memories of the Cross and Lenten services, where the sufferings and the Crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ are remembered for the salvation of people. The Lord Jesus said about Himself: “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the First and the Last” (Rev. 22:13).

The Savior's death on the cross was the repose of the Lord Jesus Christ from His deeds of saving man in earthly human nature. This corresponds to the repose of God from the works of the creation of the world on the seventh day, after the creation of man. Violet is the seventh color from red, from which the spectral range begins. The violet color inherent in the memory of the Cross and the Crucifixion, containing red and blue colors, also denotes a certain special presence of all the Hypostases of the Holy Trinity in the feat of the Cross of Christ. And at the same time, the violet color can express the idea that by His death on the Cross Christ conquered death, since the combination of the two extreme colors of the spectrum together does not leave any place for blackness in the thus formed color vicious circle as a symbol of death.

Violet color strikes with the deepest spirituality. As a sign of higher spirituality, in combination with the idea of ​​the Savior's feat on the cross, this color is used for the episcopal mantle, so that the Orthodox bishop, as it were, is clothed entirely in the feat of the Cross of the Heavenly Hierarch, whose image and imitator the bishop is in the Church. The purple skufis and kamilavkas of the clergy have similar semantic meanings.

On the feasts of the martyrs, the red color of liturgical vestments was adopted as a sign that the blood shed by them for faith in Christ was evidence of their fiery love for the Lord “with all their heart and with all their soul” (Mark 12:30). Thus, the red color in church symbolism is the color of the boundless mutual love of God and man.

The green color of the vestments for the days of remembrance of ascetics and saints means that the spiritual feat, killing the sinful principles of the lower human will, does not kill the person himself, but enlivens him by combining with the King of Glory (yellow color) and the grace of the Holy Spirit (blue color) to life eternal and renewal of all human nature.

The white color of liturgical vestments is adopted on the feasts of the Nativity of Christ, Theophany, the Annunciation because, as noted, it marks the uncreated Divine Light that comes into the world and sanctifies the creation of God, transforming it. For this reason, white robes are also served on the feasts of the Transfiguration and Ascension of the Lord.

The white color is also accepted for commemoration of the dead, because it very clearly expresses the meaning and content of the prayers for the dead, in which they ask for repose with the saints for those who have departed from earthly life, in the villages of the righteous, clothed, according to Revelation, in the Kingdom of Heaven in the white robes of Divine light.

What do the colors in the church mean: why the priests go in purple or white, why the temples are either red or green, and some have 1, and some have as many as 15 cupolas. I tried to systematize everything and supplement the material with photographs.
I would especially like to remind you that a Christian, baptized in Orthodoxy, is not good not to go to church for more than 3 Sundays in a row. For Salvation is not in the symbols we are now discussing, but in deeds.
However, it is often the symbols: beautiful singing, rich decorations and clothes that become the first step on the path to practical Orthodoxy...

A little about strangeness

Any temple of God has a Holy Altar - the place of the main Orthodox service - the Liturgy. And the Liturgy can only be celebrated on the Antimension - a board in which a special capsule with the relics of the Saints is sewn up by the bishop during the consecration of the temple. Those. there are always particles of Holy relics in the temple. But here the temple is consecrated in honor of some holiday (and not for “health” and “rest”). There may be several altars in the temple, but there is always the main one, after which it is named, and there are aisles. Surely you have heard: Trinity churches - in honor of the feast of the Holy Trinity, or Pentecost, which happens on the 50th day after Easter, there are Annunciation churches - the feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (April 7), there are St. Nicholas churches - in honor of Nicholas the World of the Lycian Wonderworker, etc. This means that the main Throne of the temple was consecrated in honor of this holiday. All Sacraments (Baptism-Anointing, Confession, Communion, Weddings) can take place in any Orthodox church. The exceptions are monasteries, in which, as a rule, the Sacraments of the Wedding (and sometimes Baptism) are not performed. It was also strange to hear the superstition that it is impossible to get married and baptize children in a church with a red color of the outer walls. Do not listen to such horror stories, it's all nonsense.

About colors

Orthodoxy uses: Yellow, White Blue (Blue), Green, Red, Purple, Black and Burgundy. Each of the flowers in the Church has a symbolic meaning:
Yellow (Gold) - Royal color. For vestments, it is used on most days of the year.
The white color of the vestments is used when performing the Sacraments of Baptism and the Priesthood (ordination of the clergy), on the feasts of the Nativity of Christ, Holy Theophany, the Meeting, on Lazarus Saturday, the Ascension, the Transfiguration, on the days of commemoration of the dead and the funeral rite.
The red color is used from Easter to the Ascension, and at other times on the days of the memory of the martyrs, symbolizing their closeness in martyrdom with Christ and the Resurrection.
The green color of life-giving and eternal life - green vestments are used on the Feast of the Lord's Entry into Jerusalem (Palm Sunday), on the day of Holy Pentecost (Trinity), as well as on the Feasts in memory of the saints, ascetics, holy fools.
Light blue (blue) color symbolizes the highest purity and purity - vestments of blue (light blue) color are used on the holidays of the Most Holy Theotokos.
The purple color symbolizes the Cross and the Passion of Christ - purple vestments are used on the Feasts of the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord (the Holy Week of Great Lent, the Origin (wearing) of the honest trees of the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord on August 14, the Exaltation of the Cross), as well as on Sundays during Great Lent, on Maundy Thursday of Holy Week.
The black color of fasting and repentance is a fasting vestment, usually black or very dark shades of blue, purple, used on the days of the weeks of Great Lent.
Burgundy (Crimson) color symbolizes blood and martyrdom. Burgundy vestments are used very infrequently - on the days of the special commemoration of the martyrs (they still use red vestments) and on Great Thursday, the day the Last Supper was established (purple vestments are still used on this day).
And if the color of the vestments is recommended, then there is no strict rule (of the Statutory Direction or Canon) for choosing the color of the walls of the temple or domes. During construction, the architect is puzzled by this. Throughout life, the color of the walls can change: a new rector has come, and the temple is no longer yellow, but blue. Often the temples remain unplastered, and then the walls have the color of a brick: red or white. However, the color of the walls is still reported adhering to tradition. So the walls of churches consecrated in honor of the Most Holy Theotokos are most often painted in blue (blue is the color of the Holy Spirit). The walls of the Exaltation of the Cross churches are painted in a rare purple color. Green color is most often found on Trinity churches. The red color is more common in Resurrection churches or near churches dedicated to the memory of the Holy Martyrs. The yellow color of the walls is a universal color, the color of Truth. Just as yellow (golden) clothes are always used in worship services when it is not necessary to use clothes of a different color (more on that later), so yellow can be found on the walls of temples very often. The white color of the walls may also mean that the temple was built quite recently, and hands have not yet reached the paint, or maybe that the parish does not have enough money to paint. White is no less versatile than yellow. And I repeat - the color of the walls can symbolize something, but not necessarily.

About the number of domes of temples

The dome of the temple does not depict Christ, it is a symbol of Him. In the traditions of the Church, it is customary to consider color to have a symbolic meaning.
Gold is a symbol of Truth. Historically, the domes of the main cathedrals were gilded, but recently this tradition has not been preserved.
Silvery domes are found mainly at temples in honor of saints.
Green domes - at the temples in honor of the Trinity or the Venerable
Blue domes (often with stars) are near churches in honor of the Mother of God holidays.
Some black domes are found in monasteries, although the copper used to cover the cupolas quickly darkens and the domes turn dark green.
There are also quite exotic ones - for example, St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow, the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood in St. Petersburg. This is what they try to be guided by when choosing the color of the domes.
Golden domes were at the main temples and at the temples dedicated to Christ and the Twelve Feasts.

Blue domes with stars crown churches dedicated to the Mother of God, because the star recalls the birth of Christ from the Virgin Mary.

Trinity churches had green domes, because green is the color of the Holy Spirit.

Temples dedicated to saints are often crowned with green or silver domes.

In the monasteries there are black domes - this is the color of monasticism.

The number of domes on the temple also has symbolism. One cupola symbolizes the One God, two - the two natures of Christ: human and Divine, two denotes something fundamental (two tables of the Decalogue, two pillars at the gates of the Temple, the Law and the Prophets, personified on the Mount of Transfiguration by Moses and Elijah, the departure of the apostles in two, two witnesses Christ at the end of time in Rev. 11:3), three - the Holy Trinity, four - the Universality (four cardinal points), the Four Gospels; five domes - Christ and four evangelists, six - the number of days of the creation of the world, seven heads - the seven Sacraments of the Church; eight - Eight souls were saved by Noah after the Great Flood, on the eighth day there is a feast of Tabernacles, Circumcision, etc.; nine domes - according to the number of angelic ranks, according to the number of beatitudes; 10 - one of the symbols of completed fullness (10 Egyptian plagues, 10 commandments) 12 -
According to the number of apostles, thirteen - Christ and twelve apostles, 15 - fifteen steps to Easter, Paremia of Great Saturday number 15, opening events in the Old Testament from the creation of the world to the Resurrection. The number of chapters can reach up to thirty-three - according to the number of years of the Savior's earthly life. However, the color and number of cupolas is determined by the architect's idea and the possibilities of coming in any variation. There is no canonical indication of the number and color of domes.

The color scheme of liturgical vestments consists of the following primary colors: red, white, gold (yellow), green, blue (cyan), purple, black. All of them symbolize the spiritual meanings of the celebrated saints and sacred events. On Orthodox icons, colors in the depiction of faces, robes, objects, the background itself, or “light”, as it was accurately called in antiquity, also have a deeply symbolic meaning.
Red. The Feast of Feasts - Easter of Christ begins in white vestments as a sign of Divine light. But already the Paschal Liturgy (in some churches it is customary to change vestments, so that the priest appears each time in robes of a different color) and the whole week are served in red robes. Often red clothes are used before the Trinity. On the feasts of the martyrs, the red color of liturgical vestments was adopted as a sign that the blood shed by them for faith in Christ was evidence of their fiery love for the Lord.
The white color of liturgical vestments is adopted on the feasts of the Nativity of Christ, Theophany, the Annunciation because it marks the uncreated Divine Light that comes into the world and sanctifies the creation of God, transforming it. For this reason, white robes are also served on the feasts of the Transfiguration and Ascension of the Lord. The white color is also adopted for the funeral and commemoration of the dead, because it very clearly expresses the meaning and content of the prayers for the dead, in which they ask for repose with the saints for those who have departed from earthly life, in the villages of the righteous, clothed, according to Revelation, in the Kingdom of Heaven in the white robes of the Divine Sveta. White is the Angelic color, namely the Angels meet all those who have departed to the Lord.
Sundays, the memory of the apostles, prophets, saints are celebrated in golden (yellow) robes, since this is directly related to the idea of ​​Christ as the King of Glory and the Eternal Hierarch and those of His servants who in the Church marked His presence and had the fullness of grace the highest degree of the priesthood.
The feasts of Our Lady are marked in blue. The blue color symbolizes Her heavenly purity and purity.
The green color of the vestments for the days of remembrance of ascetics and saints means that the spiritual feat, killing the sinful principles of the lower human will, does not kill the person himself, but enlivens him by combining with Jesus Christ the King of Glory (yellow color) and the grace of the Holy Spirit (blue color) to eternal life and the renewal of all human nature. On the Feasts of the Holy Trinity and the Day of the Holy Spirit, green robes are used. And the usual earthly greenery of trees, forests and fields has always been perceived by religious feeling as a symbol of life, spring, renewal.
If the spectrum of sunlight is represented as a circle so that its ends are connected, then it turns out that the violet color is the mediastinum of two opposite ends of the spectrum - red and blue (blue). In paints, violet is the color formed by combining these two opposite colors. Thus, the violet color combines the beginning and end of the light spectrum. This color is adopted by the memories of the Cross and Lenten services, where the sufferings and the Crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ are remembered for the salvation of people. The Lord Jesus said about Himself: “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the First and the Last” (Rev. 22:13). The Savior's death on the cross was the repose of the Lord Jesus Christ from His deeds of saving man in earthly human nature. This corresponds to the repose of God from the works of the creation of the world on the seventh day, after the creation of man. Violet is the seventh color from red, from which the spectral range begins. The violet color inherent in the memory of the Cross and the Crucifixion, containing red and blue colors, also denotes a certain special presence of all the Hypostases of the Holy Trinity in the feat of the Cross of Christ. And at the same time, the violet color can express the idea that by His death on the Cross Christ conquered death, since the combination of the two extreme colors of the spectrum together does not leave any place for blackness in the thus formed color vicious circle as a symbol of death. Violet color strikes with the deepest spirituality. As a sign of higher spirituality, in combination with the idea of ​​the Savior's feat on the cross, this color is used for the episcopal mantle, so that the Orthodox bishop, as it were, is clothed entirely in the feat of the Cross of the Heavenly Hierarch, whose image and imitator the bishop is in the Church. The purple skufis and kamilavkas of the clergy have similar semantic meanings.