The icon “Christ Pantocrator” is the oldest image of Christ, which has miraculous power, heals and helps believers.

It is difficult for a true believer to imagine a church in which there is no icon of the Savior. The face of Christ is the adornment of every temple of God and a refuge for all lost and lost souls. Faith helps to improve life, strengthen the spirit, and feel the Higher Help, therefore, the true symbol of Christianity, imprisoned in the icon of “Christ Pantocrator”, should be found not only in every church, but also in every home.

History of the icon "Christ Pantocrator"

It is known that “Pantocrator” or “Pantocrator” is the main image of the Son of the Lord, written on icons. The holy image contains two faces of Jesus Christ, which is expressed in the form of a man and a deity. This image originated in ancient times, in Byzantium. One of the main oldest shrines that has survived to this day is the icon “Christ Pantocrator from the Sinai Monastery,” which dates back to the middle of the 6th century.

Not a single Orthodox church is complete without the image of the Savior; it is even unthinkable. The shrine adorns every Orthodox church and is the main element of the whole Christian faith. Since ancient times, believers from all over the world have offered their prayers before the icons of Christ Pantocrator, asking for help in troubles and misfortunes. The miraculous image of the Savior is still an important religious symbol to this day.

Where is the image of Christ located?

As you know, this image of the Savior can be found in every Christian temple. Most famous icons are located:

• In St. Petersburg, in the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood;
• In Moscow, in the Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist;
• IN Nizhny Novgorod, in the Church of Hagia Sophia.

First and oldest icon Christ Pantocrator from the Sinai Monastery, which served as the origin of this type of iconography, is located in Egypt, in the monastery of St. Catherine.

Description of the icon of the Savior

The Savior on the iconographic shrine of the “Pantocrator” type is depicted in clothing typical of the ancient Greeks, which consists of a loose sleeveless shirt and an angular cape worn over it. The age of the Savior on the shrine corresponds to the years when He began to preach His teaching. Christ's straight hair falls to his shoulders. The fingers of His right hand are folded in a gesture symbolizing blessing, and in the other hand He holds a Bible. Holy Bible can be either closed or open.

There are three types of icons depicting Christ Pantocrator, which have some differences: the Savior can be depicted at full height, waist-deep, and also sitting on the royal throne. All three faces of the Savior contain a certain meaning.

The meaning of the icon "Christ Pantocrator"

For many centuries, this type of iconography has been of great importance in Christianity. Icons of Christ Pantocrator serve as a reminder of repentance and forgiveness, as well as of the Judgment of God, which will affect every person.

The holy image does not leave believers without support, helping them cope with all sorrows and failures and take the path of a righteous life. The face of the Son of God on the Pantocrator icons is a symbol and reminder to all humanity of the unity of the material and spiritual, and at the same time of the suffering of Jesus, who sacrificed himself for the remission of human sins and their forgiveness.

How does the miraculous image of Jesus help?

The face of the Son of the Lord helps people achieve spiritual harmony, resilience, and to find comfort in moments of grief and despair. Protects against bad intentions and deeds, heals mental and physical wounds, and serves as a talisman against misfortunes.

In front of the icon of Christ Pantocrator Orthodox people They pray with requests to protect them from deception and anger, from heartlessness and meanness. Christians also read words of gratitude to the Savior in their prayers, wanting to find His blessing in new endeavors.

The miraculous image of Christ Pantocrator is a powerful patron for families. It protects and protects children from diseases and misfortune. People suffering from even the most terrible and incurable diseases bow before the face of the Savior. It is believed that there is no disease of the soul and body that the Son of the Lord could not heal. But only he will find support and healing whose prayers before the sacred icon are devoid of pretense and bad thoughts, and their words are pure and sincere, coming from the depths of the heart and directed to Christ the Savior.

Days of celebration

Russian Orthodox Church doesn't take away official day in honor of the celebration of this icon. In Christianity it is generally accepted that the holy image of Christ Pantocrator does not need special day his celebrations. This is due to the fact that Jesus, whose face is depicted on this type of iconography, is Himself the embodiment of Holiday, Happiness and Prosperity.

Prayer to Jesus Christ in front of His icon

Most often, the “Our Father” is read before the icon of Christ Pantocrator, but there are other prayers that are addressed to the miraculous image. One such prayer goes like this:

“Oh, Merciful and Mighty King of Heaven, Son of the Lord Jesus Christ! You sacrificed Your life, saving the human race from torment and suffering. Thank you, our Savior, for not leaving us in difficult moments. Hear our prayers, for we lift up our words to You! Do not leave us in sorrow and troubles, deliver us from anger and selfishness, give us will and perseverance. Heal from mental and physical illnesses. Guide us on the true path, forgive us our sins and give us Your blessing. Before Yours the most holy icon We pray that only You are our support and protection! Protect our children and our homes from enemies and adversity! Be near and do not leave us until the end of our days. We repent and ask forgiveness from You, Son of God, and from the Lord, Your Father, for all our sinful actions and thoughts. Deliver us from suffering and become our earthly patron! We will never cease to honor and glorify Your image! May we praise your name, Son of the Lord, Jesus Christ! Let Your will be done. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Forever and ever. Amen".

From time immemorial, believers turned to the holy saints of God in the hope of a miracle, but anyone who at least once turned directly to Christ received help instantly. It has strength, faith and love. And his image is a parting word for people who want to live in righteousness and prosperity. We wish you peace in your soul, take care of yourselfand don't forget to press the buttons and

More than a thousand years ago, iconoclastic disputes died down, and the Church approved the veneration of holy icons. But how many of our contemporaries think about who and what they see on the icon? And when you think about it, isn’t it even worse? Icon painter Dmitry Marchenko talks about whether art historians are telling the truth about the Sinai Savior.

The image of the Savior from the monastery of St. Catherine in Sinai is one of the most impressive masterpieces of icon painting. It was written, as is commonly believed, in Constantinople in the middle of the 6th century under Emperor Justinian I and donated by him to the Sinai monastery, which enjoyed the patronage of the emperor.

For some time, the image was forgotten, it was discovered only in the 19th century, but the world was able to appreciate the full artistic power and spiritual depth of this icon only in 1962, when its surface was cleared of later renovations.

Initially, the Savior of Sinai was painted using the encaustic technique. This is an ancient painting technique in which colorful pigment is mixed with heated wax. In the pre-iconoclastic era, encaustic painting was the most common technique for creating icons.

The Sinai image makes a very strong impression on the viewer - primarily with its unusual expression, strength and freedom of stroke. It is no secret that the modern Russian Orthodox are more accustomed to the smoothness and licking of the icon surface - a “humble” imitation of the examples of the late Russian Middle Ages, from Rublev to Dionysius. Another striking feature is the pronounced asymmetry and even, as it were, diversity in the features of the Savior’s face.

This asymmetry of the Sinai icon, without mentioning which not a single text about it is complete, has become a real stumbling block for many modern theological art critics and art theologians.

I admit honestly, I was lucky with the Sinai Spas. I first saw a reproduction of this beautiful monument, and only then read about it. It was then that I realized that I had not noticed the famous asymmetry before becoming acquainted with the literature dedicated to the monument. That is, I, of course, saw it, but did not attach any special, much less symbolic, meaning to it.

Christ was looking at me, I recognized Him - this was the main thing in my communication with the icon, and I was absolutely not inclined to make observations like “ah-ah, look, His eyes are different!” or “the left mustache is shorter than the right!”

But there are people who look at the image of the Savior differently. It seems to them that their understanding of the icon will deepen because, firstly, they will focus their attention on the “diversity of eyes”, the asymmetry of the image and, secondly, they will find the correct explanation for this asymmetry.

The explanation begins with an interpretation, for example, this: “different eyes of the Savior, merciful and rejecting...”. At the same time, the statement about “various emotional” eyes is supported by a reference to the Fourth Act of the VII Ecumenical Council, where we are talking about the image of the heroine ancient greek myths Medea: “one eye showed anger in her, the second, on the contrary, tenderness”(Acts of the Ecumenical Councils. Vol. 4. P. 423).

And these different eyes of a pagan character, which in the context of conciliar decrees should demonstrate a different, sometimes directly opposite range of human emotions, suddenly become attached to the image of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Or even more twisted. Here's what one Israeli tour guide writes about the notorious asymmetry:

"And another one most interesting feature this icon. It reflected the debates of that time about the nature of Christ. Shortly before the painting of this icon, the Dyophysites won a final victory over the Arians and Monophysites.

Monophysites believed that in Jesus there is only a Divine nature, Arians - that Jesus was created by God and is not equal to Him. The Dyophysites claim that in Him there are simultaneously two natures, unmerged and inseparable - Divine and human. The icon reflects this duality.

The right side of the face is solemn and calm, light emanates from it, the eye looks straight ahead - this is the facial expression of the Supreme Judge. The left side is in shadow, the eyebrow is wrinkled with suffering, the gaze is directed downward - we see the suffering human essence of Jesus. And all this in a 6th century icon! This is how icons were painted then!” .

Of course, these are not just guide stories - art historians also often speak and write in the same vein. But to claim this, you need to close your eyes to what the holy fathers wrote about the icon.

Let me remind you. During the period of iconoclastic persecution, opponents sacred image They accused the Orthodox, among other things, of the fact that by depicting the human nature of the Lord on icons, we thereby separate it from His Divine nature, like the Nestorians, as stated in the anathematisms of the Iconoclastic Council:

“Whoever tries to paint on an icon the inseparable and hypostatic union of the nature of God the Word and the flesh, that is, that one unfused and inseparable thing that was formed from both, and calls this image Christ, while the name Christ means both God and man, Let him be anathema.

Whoever with one thought separates the flesh united with the hypostasis of God the Word, and as a result of this tries to depict it on an icon, let him be anathema.

Whoever paints on an icon flesh deified by its union with God the Word, as if separating it from the Deity who received and deified it and thus making it as if undeified, let him be anathema.”

Orthodoxy gave its response to these accusations: the icon depicts not nature, but the personality of Christ.

And within the framework of this polemic, one simple observation is important: never, in any context, either from the Orthodox side or from the iconoclastic side, has there been any mention of depicting the difference between two natures in one icon. It is clear as day that the Christian world was simply not familiar with such a tricky artistic phenomenon as the depiction of this difference.

Let's now try to look at the problem from a purely art historical point of view. Is this technique of depicting a face really so unique that some kind of symbolic meaning?

As is known, the monuments closest to the Sinai Savior in iconography, style and technique are the funeral images of the Hellenistic era, the so-called. "Fayum Portraits". If we look at a selection of these images, we will notice that various kinds of asymmetries are not uncommon there:

Simply put, in this group of monuments it is more difficult to find a symmetrical face than an asymmetrical one; there are dozens of much more gross violations symmetry than on the Sinai icon.

As you can see, asymmetry is just one of the manifestations of the style of this school.

Of course, it is impossible to forbid a person to see in an icon what he wants. For example, in Christ’s hairstyle, depending on the number of strands, one can find the Holy Trinity, the four Gospels, and the seven Passions. In the wrinkles on the forehead there is a hint of the celestial spheres. In the vertical of the nose and horizontal of the eyebrows - Life-giving Cross, and based on these in-depth observations, dive into theology - sometimes Orthodox, and more often esoteric.

But Orthodox Christian must always remember that the icon of Christ is, first of all, a direct image of Him, and what could be more than this? What fictions, what symbolic codes, what “secret doctrines”? Only those who do not care for Christ Himself, merciful and formidable, majestic and humble, Savior and Judge - only such “Christians” will begin to look in His icon, be it the Sinai Savior or any other, for cheap rattles to satisfy their need to philosophize there, where one should only contemplate and pray.

In contact with

X Christ Pantocrator from the Sinai Monastery is a mid-6th century encaustic icon depicting Jesus Christ in Pantocrator iconography. It is the oldest known iconographic image of Christ.

The icon was created in Constantinople in the middle of the 6th century and sent by Emperor Justinian as a gift to the Sinai monastery, for which he was building a basilica and fortified walls at that time. The icon was discovered in the monastery in the 19th century. It was established that presumably in the 13th century the icon was renewed (drawn) with tempera painting. The original wax surface was cleaned during the restoration of the icon in 1962.

The icon is distinguished by the realism of the image, as well as some sensitivity of the image, but the physiognomic features that the icon painter gave to Jesus became stable in his iconography. The facial features of Jesus in the icon are individual and bring him closer to a realistic image, but in the image “the motifs of contemplation, peace, and tranquility, necessary for the icon image with its prayerful concentration and severity, already predominate.” Thanks to this, the iconographic image already demonstrates the transition from the real to the ideal image characteristic of iconography.

The icon shows the influence of ancient artistic techniques, in particular the Roman and Fayum traditions. This is especially evident in the different eyes of Jesus - one is merciful, and the other is rejecting. The image of Christ itself is distinguished by its triumphalism, which is emphasized by the traditional purple of his clothes (the tunic is made in purple “the color of the night”, and the clave on it is made of traditional bloody purple), the precious setting of the Gospel in his hand, as well as the concave exedra behind his back, which is traditional association with the imperial cult.

There is symbolism in the use of light: the light moves from left to right, creating a sense of mystery. The asymmetry between the left and right sides of Jesus' face is very noticeable. The left side, full of light and radiance, shows a relaxed eyebrow and lips; the right side, on the contrary, is darker. This duality between the calm and compassionate nature of Jesus, and his dark and harsh traits, reflected church and public discussions of the time, when the concept of the dual nature of Jesus Christ was hotly debated. The use of light, as well as various facial expressions, reflected the idea of ​​the human and divine nature of Christ, his mercy and role as a judge.

Unlike the Fayum portraits, on the Sinai icon of the Pantocrator the eyes of Jesus do not have reflections or glare, since Jesus himself is the source of light. This became a common practice in later Orthodox iconography of Jesus Christ, and also began to be used in the iconography of saints.

Color is used to reinforce the idea of ​​ethereal light and the heavenly realm. Warm shades from ocher to brown centered on golden tones. The circular golden halo, which may have had inlays, clearly shows that the person depicted is “not of this world.” This halo is reminiscent of the sun god of past polytheistic traditions. In this case, Jesus appears as the one who replaced the past gods, as the new “Sun of Truth”. The baptismal halo depicts stars, which in later icon painting will become key elements in the image of the Mother of God, symbolizing purity. This is probably their meaning in this case, as well, but then the icons of the Savior replaced the inscriptions in Greek, and the development of this style.

The posture and gestures of Jesus Christ also have symbolic meaning. The figure of the Almighty occupies a significant part of the pictorial plane, controlling the space. The gospel in his left hand symbolizes his power over the universe, and also recalls his ministry on earth. His right hand blesses the believers; the fingers are folded as a sign of teaching and authority, in groups of two and three fingers, which simultaneously reflects faith in the dual nature of Jesus Christ, as well as in the Holy Trinity.

Art critic Galina Kolpakova notes:
In the Sinai icon there is neither canonicity nor reference to models. And this is not only because there were no samples. The spontaneity and individuality of what is created are perceived as the result of some kind of clairvoyance, as evidence of a strong and living faith and cannot be translated into the plane of a calculated system

Christ Pantocrator - a copy of the 6th century icon from the Sinai Monastery of St. Catherine.

The icon of the Savior of Sinai is the oldest iconographic image of Christ.
The icon was created in Constantinople in the middle of the 6th century and sent by Emperor Justinian as a gift to the Sinai monastery, for which he was building a basilica and fortified walls at that time.

The image of Christ of Sinai is more realistic and individual than late Byzantine icon painting. In the icon, “the motifs of contemplation, peace, and tranquility predominate, necessary for the icon image with its prayerful concentration and severity.” At the same time, the image of Christ is distinguished by its triumphalism, which is emphasized by both the traditional purple of his clothes (the tunic is made in purple “the color of the night”, and the clave he wears the traditional bloody purple), the precious Gospel frame in his hand, and the concave exedra behind his back, a traditional association with the imperial cult.

The icon shows the influence of ancient artistic techniques, in particular the Roman and Fayum traditions. Characteristic feature Fayum portrait school is also a noticeable asymmetry between the left and right sides of Jesus’ face. The left side, full of light and radiance, is distinguished by a smooth arch of the eyebrow and a natural, wide-open eye; the right side, on the contrary, is darker, the eyebrow is raised and curved, the eye has an expressive pattern and looks intensely peering. Subsequently, this duality was interpreted in the context of church and public discussions of that time, the problematic of the dual divine-human nature of Jesus Christ. This asymmetrical image of the face of Christ later became distinctive feature iconography of Pantocrator in the domes of Byzantine churches.

Warm shades from ocher to brown are used, centered on golden tones. The circular golden halo, which may have had inlays, clearly shows that the person depicted is “not of this world.” This halo is reminiscent of the sun god of past polytheistic traditions. In this case, Jesus appears as the one who replaced the past gods, as the new “Sun of Truth”. The baptismal halo depicts stars, which in later icon painting will become key elements in the image of the Mother of God, symbolizing purity. In the subsequent development of the iconography of the Savior, they were replaced by the letters that make up the Greek word ὁ ὤν - Jehovah.

The posture and gestures of Jesus Christ also have symbolic meaning. The figure of the Almighty occupies a significant part of the pictorial plane, controlling the space. The gospel in his left hand symbolizes his power over the Universe, and also recalls his ministry on earth. His right hand blesses the believers; the fingers are folded as a sign of teaching and authority, in groups of two and three fingers, which simultaneously reflects faith in the dual nature of Jesus Christ, as well as in.

Just as the iconography of Jesus Christ occupies the central part of all ancient Orthodox iconography, so the Savior Pantocrator (photo icons are presented below) is an image that occupies the main place among all the many types of images of the Lord. The dogmatic meaning of this icon is very great: Christ is the Heavenly King and Judge, “Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the Lord who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.” In almost every Orthodox church in the central part of the dome there is this image, which can be found in a set with traditional Russian Orthodox iconostases or as a single icon.

Description of the icon of the Savior Almighty

The Savior Christ on the icon can be depicted in different positions: sitting, waist-deep, full-length or chest-length, in the left hand with a scroll or the Gospel, and the right hand is in a blessing gesture.

The epithet “Almighty” expresses the dogma of the Incarnation, which symbolizes the Divine and human nature of the Savior. He is also called in Greek “Pantocrator”, where the first part of the word means “all”, and the second - “power”, that is, the All-Powerful and the Almighty. According to the literary translation - “It is possible for Him to create everything”, He is the “Ruler of the world” and “The Ruler of everything.”

The term “Almighty” is found more than once; the ancient Jews called their “living” God, whom they worshiped, this way, then they began to address Jesus Christ this way.

Ancient icon

The appearance of the image of Christ Pantocrator in Byzantium dates back to the 4th-6th centuries. The oldest iconographic image is an icon called Christ Pantocrator from the Sinai Monastery (VI century).

The icon of the Savior Almighty “Savior on the Throne” is one of the most ancient diagrams, where Christ is depicted frontally, seated on a throne with a pillow, in traditional clothes and with a stool at his feet.

The early and first images of the Savior on the throne can be seen in (III-IV centuries). But the iconography would take final shape in the post-iconoclast period (10th century).

The throne has the meaning of an attribute of royal dignity. To the Old Testament prophets, God appeared seated on a throne. This is exactly how the Lord will appear on earth, on the Day of General Resurrection, to accomplish His Last Judgment over all people living and dead.

The icon of the Almighty Savior “Manuel the Savior”, according to legend, belongs to the brush of the Byzantine Emperor Manuel I, and is distinguished by a special gesture right hand, indicating the text of the Gospel.

There are several more interpretations of the image of Christ: “The Savior in Power”, in the traditional Russian iconostasis, as well as the icon of Christ seated on a throne surrounded by the Heavenly Host, Psychososter (Soul Savior), Eleemon (Merciful).

Iconoclasm

The icon of the Savior Almighty shows the age of Christ, which corresponds to the time when He began to preach. He is depicted with straight, shoulder-length hair and a small beard and mustache on his fair face.

According to the canon, the Savior wore a red tunic and a blue himation on top of it. Blue is a symbol of heaven, red is martyrdom and the color of blood. The vestments of Christ are interpreted as the solitude of the heavenly, earthly and spiritual. In the history of Christianity, icons became a point of contention between supporters of icon veneration, who pointed to the human and divine nature of Jesus, and heretics, who denied all this.

From the 4th to the 6th centuries there was an iconoclastic struggle, when thousands of icons, mosaics and frescoes were destroyed because they became a stronghold of faith for many people, and supporters of icon painting were severely punished. Only in 842 at the Council of Constantinople did adherents of orthodox views achieve victory, and the iconoclasts’ Icon of the Savior Almighty Pantocrator eventually became a symbol of victory over heresy.

Savior Almighty: icon, meaning

Before the image of this icon, prayers are offered by people who want to thank the Great Lord for help and support or to receive a blessing for planned deeds. Prayer to the icon of the Almighty Savior will help you receive consolation and strength. They also pray to her to receive healing from physical and spiritual injuries and deliverance from sinful thoughts. You can offer your prayers not only for yourself, but also for your family and close friends.

Help

The icon “Lord Pantocrator” can be presented as a gift as part of a wedding couple for newlyweds or as a gift dear person. Since this icon has very strong energy, it can guide you on the true path to salvation of the soul, if, of course, a person repents, and give miraculous healing a person who is a sincere believer. Before asking God for mercy, you must read the Lord’s Prayer.

To the question of how the Icon of the Savior Almighty helps, we can answer that Jesus Christ is the chief physician of our souls and bodies, who knows about everything and our prayer should be directed to Him first and foremost. Icon of the Savior church rules placed at the head of the entire iconostasis.

Many different kinds of miracles and healings near this icon are described. However, there are those who consider icons to be superstition and deception, but experience shows quite the opposite; a truly believing person will not begin his day without prayer, as one speaks to God even across the blue sea, but without God not to the threshold.

Relation to icons

And in general, any orthodox icon- this is not a picture at all, where you can admire the plot composition or the play of colors and admire the talents of the artist who created it.

The icon, first of all, is severity and tenderness. Unlike any picture, it makes you think about eternal values and about the state of the soul, bringing us closer to God.

When we look at the icon and pray, it fills us with that all-encompassing grace that invisibly envelops us, calls us to salvation, awakens our conscience in us, and thereby opens up prayer.

Veneration of shrines

And if Orthodox Christians are accused of worshiping icons as idols, then this is an incorrect statement. They do not worship them, but honor them as a shrine. Believers understand perfectly well what icons are, and through them they offer honor and praise to the prototype of the Lord Almighty.

All earthly people are united by the desire to live without problems, to have health and well-being. And this is all on the basis of faith, hope and love, which are integral Christian virtues.

Life will definitely change in better side, if you start praying intensely and thanking the Lord for everything - both for all the good and for the bad that happens in our lives. God help everyone!