Orthodox crosses on graves. Shapes and proportions of Orthodox crosses

Cross - main symbol Christianity and endless faith. Venerating his image, Christians worship not the instrument of execution, but the all-conquering spiritual weapon and symbol eternal life, which was given to people along with redemption from sin. The overhead crosses erected over Orthodox churches have many forms that carry a certain symbolic meaning, however, the most common are six-pointed and eight-pointed.

Six-pointed crosses

Widespread since the time Ancient Rus', a six-pointed cross with an oblique base - a righteous standard - has crowned the domes of churches for centuries. Sloping foot has two meanings. The first is the crossbar of the scales of the “last” judgment, whose upper side symbolizes liberation through repentance, and the lower side symbolizes unrepentant sin. According to the second version, the upper end, like a compass needle, indicates to a person the beginning of spiritual rebirth and the direction of the path from darkness to the region of light.

Eight-pointed crosses

The eight-pointed cross erected above the temple, at the base of which you can often see a crescent, most accurately recreates the historically accurate shape of the cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified. Since ancient times it was considered powerful protection from invisible and visible evil, in addition to the lower oblique and horizontal crossbars, it has another one, symbolizing a tablet with the inscription INRI (an abbreviation of the Latin phrase meaning “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews” and dating back to the New Testament).

Other forms

The favorite form of ancient Russian masters includes the Trefoil, which is a symbol Life-Giving Trinity, while the ends of the ends of the cross can be either round or triangular (pointed). No less common was the Morning Star, which was created by blacksmiths who decorated the radiant radiance emanating from the center of the cross with stars. By the way, it was with the help of these wavy or straight lines that the masters solved the problem of depicting the immaterial light of life.

In addition to the radiance lines on Orthodox crosses, you can see grapevine with bunches of berries, a dove representing the Holy Spirit, flowers and shoots ready to bloom - the apotheosis of life-giving power.

Proportions and manufacturing methods

Regardless of the shape, all crosses crowning the domes Orthodox churches, are manufactured in accordance with canonical (golden) proportions, which are distinguished by exceptionally high aesthetics and determine the perfect correspondence between the whole and the parts. The proportions of the “golden section”, known since ancient times, have a beneficial effect on humans, being present in all harmonious phenomena of life and, therefore, only according to them can the symbol of God and Faith be built. The proportions of the body also obey the law of the “golden section”, and, making the sign of the cross, a person transfers them to the applied cross.

All Orthodox sizes eight-pointed cross determined by the members of the “golden section” series. The generally accepted designation for this proportion is F (in honor of Phidias, the ancient Greek sculptor who was the first to use the Divine section when creating his works), equal to 1.618. Based on this, if we take the height of the cross as 1.618, then:

• Length of the middle crossbar Ф=1;
• The distance from the top of the cross to the middle crossbar and the length of the top crossbar F-2=0.382;
• The distance between the middle and top crossbars is F-3=0.236;
• Distance from the top of the cross to the top crossbar Ф-4=0.146;
• The distance from the base to the lower oblique is 1/2Ф=0.5.

The vertical elements could be extended depending on the height of the structure and the visual perception of the cross from the ground.

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• Made of ferrous metal lined with titanium nitride coated stainless steel sheet;
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• Made of stainless steel and then plated with 24-karat gold.

Signs, superstitions and instructions of the Church about crosses on the grave.

The symbol of Christ's crucifixion - the cross - has been shrouded in a mysterious shroud of riddles, secrets and superstitions since ancient times. Many of these signs have taken on a religious form since Christianity spread throughout the world, choosing the cross as its symbol.

According to religious dogmas, death is an important, turning point event in the life of every person. Moreover, monks and elders call life a preparation for death, since it is with the end of “earthly affairs” that the soul meets the Lord. Therefore, it is not surprising that so many different religious instructions and instructions are associated with the burial rite. A very important one is the installation of a cross on the grave of a deceased Christian.

The cross is a shrine that is revered and arouses reverence among all Christians. And in this regard, when installing it on the grave, some problems may arise. practical questions, caused by the fear of offending a sacred symbol, thereby incurring divine wrath.

How to install a cross on a grave?

Building on tradition Orthodox Christianity, the grave is positioned so that the head of the deceased is directed to the west and the legs to the east. According to biblical accounts, this is how Jesus was buried.

A tombstone cross is placed at the feet of the deceased, so that at the moment when the soul leaves its final refuge, it can see in front of it the holy symbol of forgiveness and offer prayers before it. Catholic traditions require placing a cross above your head. It is believed that when leaving the earth, the soul kisses the crucifix, expressing its submission and devotion to Christian teaching.

What to do with the old cross?

On the day of the funeral, an ordinary wooden cross is placed on the grave. This is done not only for religious reasons, but also for practical ones: a wooden structure is quite light in weight (compared, for example, with stone tombstones), and therefore its installation will not interfere with the natural subsidence and compaction of the soil at the burial site.

But when the time comes to install a new, permanent headstone, the cross is dismantled and the question arises of what to do with it. It is really impossible to throw away a shrine in the trash, as this is a sign of disrespect. It is recommended to burn a wooden cross as unnecessary. If such a need arises, you should ask the cemetery administration where this can be done. As a rule, each graveyard has places for such needs.

If the cross is well preserved, it can be given to a workshop or even sold. According to clergy, there is nothing forbidden or shameful in installing an old crucifix. In addition, an old tombstone can become the personification of the deceased’s non-covetousness, his meekness and lack of desire for material, earthly goods.

What to do if the cross is askew or has fallen?

Due to bad weather, a tombstone, especially a temporary one made of lightweight material and installed without a solid foundation, can become askew or even fall. If the crucifix is ​​lopsided, it should be corrected, a dense earthen mound should be made and it should be compacted well. The cross should stand straight on the grave.

There are two opinions about fallen crosses, but they agree that this is an unfavorable sign. Some argue that a toppled tombstone can simply be reinstalled, but with a better installation this time. According to others, the fallen cross should be burned and a new one installed in its place. Be that as it may, the Church recommends ordering a prayer service for the repose or lighting a candle if this happened at the grave of your loved one.

Signs and superstitions

Many people associate various superstitions with grave crosses. They cast fortunes on them, remove and damage them, cast love spells and conspiracies. Orthodox Church disapproves of such rituals; they are called pagan. The Holy Fathers assert that if you notice unkind signs associated with tombstone crosses, as if someone wants to bring trouble upon you, you should not be afraid and take it too seriously. You need to strengthen your faith, go to church, pray, accept holy communion, then no misfortunes will be able to touch either you or your family.

There are many more connected with crosses, one way or another. various signs and religious requirements. To bury a loved one, thoroughly observing the instructions of the Church, is a laudable, good desire, but if faith lives in the heart and sincere prayers for the deceased come from the depths of the soul, then you should not be afraid of making small mistakes associated with the installation of a tombstone cross.

If you decide to install a cross on the grave yourself, then first you will need to understand some details. Before installation and preparation, you need to decide on the material you will use.

To a greater extent, the entire installation and preparation process will depend on it. The most popular are three types of gravestones: wood, metal and stone.

Installation of a wooden cross

Remember that wood is a short-lived material, and in order to best preserve it, it will need to be initially prepared for installation.

If you decide to make the cross yourself, then it is best to take coniferous species or oak. Coniferous trees are more resistant to climate change.

Due to the high resin content in the tree trunk, its durability initially increases. The strength of oak is not particularly resistant to weather conditions however, it will adequately withstand moisture when dug in.

There may be several installation methods. You know perfectly well what for reliable installation it is necessary to fix the cross in the ground, which means that we have only two exits, or to fill it concrete mortar or initially attach support beams to the base.

If using concrete the process is more or less clear, then installing additional legs on a cross is best done 2 times. The legs should extend vertically and horizontally. It will be best if you attach two pairs of them, at the very bottom of the cross and shallow from the surface.

Having dug a hole of sufficient depth (depending on the massiveness and height of the cross, it can be different), place the cross with legs in it. Try to secure it in the ground as securely as possible.

It is best to fill the hole with clay, because of its viscosity, it will not sag much during rains and will not be washed out by the flow of water. You will have to wait a while to fill the hole again; it is best to wait until one rainy season has passed, and in case of severe drought, you can wait about six months.

The finished cross should be thoroughly treated before filling with clay. additional materials. Antifungal varnish or special remedy, repels moisture. In some cases, the surface can be coated thin layer glue.

Installation of the Iron Cross

Installation metal cross does not differ in the installation method. It is best to cover a metal cross alkyd paint or anti-rust. Try to ensure that when opening the material there are no unpainted areas left.

As for the installation of a metal cross, it is best to use a concrete solution. A sufficient amount of concrete poured into the hole is the best fastener underground.

Before pouring concrete into a dug hole, it would be a good idea to try to hammer the cross into the ground an extra 10 cm. After the concrete solution has dried, you can safely fill the hole with earth or clay. Due to the displacement of most of the earth by concrete mortar, there will not be much shrinkage of the earth.

Installation of a stone cross

A stone tombstone is quite simple to install. It is very difficult to install it yourself, but it is possible. The main problem is that the stone itself is a very heavy product, and setting it level will be your first and foremost task.

There is no need to pre-prepare the stone. Although, if the cross is made of stone chips, after installation you can cover it with an antifungal solution so that wet weather does not cause plants of the moss family to grow on the monument.

When making a stone cross, craftsmen provide an option for installation, but, unfortunately, each craftsman makes fasteners in his own way.

The most common is screwing metal piles in length and width from the base of the cross, which are simply dug in and covered with earth. Due to its high weight, you don’t have to worry about the cross falling or moving after installation.

When making a grave cross, it is necessary to pay attention not only to the size it will have, but also not to forget about Orthodox traditions. Many customers do not understand how to distinguish Catholic from Orthodox. It all depends on religion. Commonly used grave crosses from valuable wood. For them to serve long time, you must follow the manufacturing technology of the product. Under no circumstances should you use bad or damp wood, and it is also necessary to take into account the processing of the finished structure.

Differences between the Orthodox cross.

In shape and size they are similar to each other, but in the image of the crucified Christ there are some differences. Orthodox tradition says that our Savior's feet were nailed with two nails. And the Catholic one indicates that only one nail was used during the crucifixion. There are some other differences as well. For example, the shape of an Orthodox cross is most often eight-pointed or six-pointed. In the cemetery, Christian believers have mostly wooden grave crosses. In this way, they perpetuate the memory of the deceased. On wooden product V Orthodox faith It is allowed to use the image of Jesus Christ. At the grave of the deceased it must be installed in in the right direction, this means to be at the feet of a deceased person, and his crucifix is ​​opposite his face.

Advantages of a wooden product.

The most accessible and the best option considered to be a grave Orthodox cross made of wood. Only valuable tree species are used for its production. Wood is mainly obtained from aspen, bog oak, pine, cypress, and iroko. IN modern world There are a variety of designs for graves, and the choice can be made based on what is available and what you like.

Installing a cross is one of the ways to improve a burial site. If the technology for mounting the monument can still be found, then information regarding correct installation There's not much of a cross. In this article, we will tell you about the main methods used by masters in our time.

Method No. 1

The first option is to bury the cross. In this case, it is also necessary to waterproof the part of the product that will be located in the ground. The main disadvantage of this method is that the cross is significantly shortened. Considering high cost carved crosses, this method is not the best solution problems. According to the installation technology, the presented option is similar to cementing the part of the cross located in the ground. This work will only allow you to securely fix the base. This is where the advantages of the method end.

Method No. 2

Unlike the installation option described above, in this case a special additional fastening is used. This technology allows you to increase the overall length of the cross, as well as obtain reliable and durable support. At the same time, the presented method is performed in the same way as the previous one, since the additional fastening is also buried in the ground or cemented. The main advantage of this method is the maximum height of the cross after installation.

Method No. 3

The third method starts the same as the second, but allows you to get an even longer cross. Ultimately, it is possible to make the cross not touch the ground at all. To do this you need to cover it bottom part large stones (cobblestones). They will completely hide the structure of the installation, so they will give the most aesthetic appearance to the burial site. This method makes it possible to practically build a Golgotha, thereby strikingly highlighting the monastery of the deceased among other burial places in the cemetery. Needless to say, this method of installing a cross is the most popular?

Looking through each of the options described above, you can understand that there is nothing complicated about them. We hope that you will do everything correctly and the cross will stand on the grave for many years. If you have any difficulties installing or transporting the cross, call us at the phone number below. We will provide you with any assistance in solving these problems.