Icon of the Holy Trinity who is depicted. Holy Icon of the Trinity: meaning for the Orthodox

Any religious holiday- this, if you like, is a multi-layered pie with a wide variety of fillings. There are all flavor combinations - from classic to original.

So the feast of the Trinity fits perfectly into these patterns. church canons, bible stories and of course, folk traditions- all this is imprinted in the cultural memory.

And also - on the canvases of immortal canvases that have survived to this day. famous photos Trinity, legendary icons, masterpieces of world art - all this can be seen right now.

Who does not know the icon of the Holy Trinity? Andrey Rublev immediately comes to mind, although, of course, there are other canonical images.

Here, for example, is the Zyryansk icon of the Trinity. It was created in the 14th century by Komi-Zyryan masters. And the inscriptions on the canvas are made in the ancient Permian language. The photo of the icon shows that a plant is depicted on top of the Holy Trinity - this is a symbol of Abraham's oak.

And what about oak? This is discussed in detail in the next section.

Old Testament Trinity 16th century

Interestingly, the first symbolic meeting with the Trinity is described in the Old Testament, many centuries before the appearance of Christ and the Holy Spirit on earth.

Everyone knows Abraham - the founder of the Israeli people. His wife Sarah for a long time could not conceive, although God promised Abraham a huge offspring. This paradox was easily resolved thanks to a miracle: a 90-year-old woman became pregnant by a 100-year-old man, and the first child was finally born in the family.

And exactly one year before this event, three very unusual travelers came to Abraham. The host received them very hospitably, although for a long time he had no idea that they were messengers of God.

Everything went according to the classical canons - the guests enjoyed the meal, when suddenly one of them said that in a year Abraham would have a son. It was hard to believe, and Sarah, who involuntarily overheard the conversation, even chuckled. However, in the end, everything happened exactly as the messengers said.

It is believed that these were three angels who were a prototype of the triune God - the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. These legendary events took place in the sacred oak forest called Mamre.

That is why on many icons of the Holy Trinity, an oak branch is necessarily depicted.

On the left and right, as you might guess, Abraham and Sarah are depicted. They were called to serve the Lord, because he did a great miracle for them - at such a respectable age, the couple had their first (and only) son. And in the center of the canvas we see the image of the triune God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

If we talk about who is depicted on this icon of the Holy Trinity, then everything corresponds to church canons: on the left is God the Father (first hypostasis), in the center is God the Son (second hypostasis) and on the right is God the Holy Spirit (third hypostasis).

Trinity of the Old Testament 16-17 centuries.

Similar icons are called Old Testament. Images were created by masters in the 16th and 17th centuries. Here, for example, is the creation of the icon painter Simon Ushakov, dated 1671. Now the canvas is stored in the Tretyakov Gallery.

Icon "Trinity" by Simon Ushakov

It is not difficult to guess what is depicted on the icon of the Holy Trinity - this is the image of the triune God. Moreover, on the icon of Ushakov, we see only three faces of the Lord, without other heroes.

Subsequently, this image was subjected to repeated creative rethinking, although the plot and forms remained the same.

Holy Trinity in existence

Since this story is described in the book of Genesis (Chapter 18), below is a photo of the icon of the Holy Trinity in Genesis. This is a real canvas, which symbolically depicts both the oak tree from the sacred place of Mamre, and the conversation of Abraham and Sarah at the table with the triune God.

And the meaning of this icon with the Trinity in being is somewhat different. On the canvas we see the same promised son - a boy named Isaac. The Lord fulfilled his promise and performed a miracle.

And today it has not changed at all, which means that miracles happen in our century.

Trinity of the Old Testament with walking

This icon with the Holy Trinity, the photo of which is shown below, has a similar meaning. Those legendary travelers must have come from afar. And after meeting with Abraham, they disappeared as quickly as they appeared.

This walk has become good sign, after all, exactly a year later, the long-awaited heir really appeared in the family. The icon of the Old Testament Trinity with walking (or walking) conveys this joy well. And here the plot is complemented by the way the son Isaac sacrifices a ram.

This image reflects famous story about how Abraham almost killed his own son, whom God demanded to be offered as a sacrifice. Abraham almost carried out this order, but the angel stopped him in time.

Thus, the Lord tested the faithfulness of his servant - and the result was beyond all expectations. And then, as a sacrifice, they slaughtered the very ram on which the depicted Isaac sits.

Icon of the Trinity - 14th century

The same theme is developed by the icon of the Trinity, the photo of which looks like this.

The feast scene itself is well shown here: it is clear with what reverence Abraham and Sarah serve the triune God. Today, this creation of the 14th century is kept in the Hermitage.

Trinity Andrey Rublev

So, it is clear who is depicted on the icon of the Holy Trinity, but what does it mean? The answer can be found on the famous painting by Andrey Rublev, which is also known as "Hospitality of Abraham" (15th century).

This is a classic image, the contemplation of which really sets one to think about the eternal. If you look at the icon for a long time, you get the impression that the same face is drawn.

This has its own deep meaning: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are the triune God. One as three, and three as one - here it is, the incomprehensible essence of the divine nature.

Trinity in salary (icon)

And this image is not even a picture, but a kind of golden case - a salary, under which the well-known icon of Andrei Rublev is hidden. It would seem, who and why needed to hide this work of art under a layer of gold?

The idea came to Ivan the Terrible, who did not want the shrine to be accessible to the eyes of even his closest associates. Interestingly, shortly after the death of the king, his successor Boris Godunov ordered to cover the image with another layer of gold, as well as diamonds and sapphires.

It is symbolic that such a “case” lived for more than 4 centuries and in many respects preserved the classical image from the destructive effects of time. But still, the shrine itself turned out to be eternal, and not the golden layer.

In 1904, the sediment was removed by the restorer Vasily Guryanov, and then the same Trinity, which many people know today, even those who are far from religion, appeared before the eyes of everyone.

Well, "life is short, art is eternal" (lat. " Vita brevis, ars longa"), as the ancients said.

Holy Trinity - Titian

The plot with the Trinity was used to create both iconographic images and secular paintings, many of which were included in the golden collection of world painting.

This is one of the most unusual, pathos images of the Trinity - the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are seated in heaven, in their hands are the symbols of power - the scepter and orb. The painting was painted almost 500 years ago.

Trinity: renaissance

This photo of an icon with the day of the Holy Trinity looks very cozy thanks to the abundance of sand and amber. The image of the triune God is done quite symbolically: the Son is talking with the Father, passing him the crown.

And somewhere far away, where God points with his finger, the Holy Spirit flies in the form of a dove. Angels in the sky, people on earth - a harmonious spectacle that sets you in a peaceful mood.

Non-canonical images of the Holy Trinity: the coronation of the Mother of God

In general, nothing is said about the coronation of the Virgin Mary, as well as Jesus or the Holy Spirit. However, the Mother of God is recognized as a saint by all branches Christian religion. And according to the ideas of believers, she, too, was ascended to heaven immediately after her death.

It was then that her coronation took place. And this event is somehow reflected in church calendar. Orthodox, for example, celebrate the Assumption of the Virgin. This happens every year on August 28 in a new style.

The plot of the coronation is interpreted in different ways. For example, on the canvas of Diego Velasquez, Mary is crowned by the Father and the Son.

And Ridolfo Ghirlandaio depicted how Christ himself crowned the Mother of God in heaven. And in honor of this event, the angels play solemn music.

Adoration of the Holy Trinity

And this is not just a photo of the Holy Trinity, but a real panorama, which, without exaggeration, can be looked at for hours. The creation of Albrecht Dürer, created by him in 1511, is today kept in the famous Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna.

On the main plan is the crucifixion of Christ. A little further - the Father, who, by great mercy, himself gave the Son as a sacrifice for the salvation of all mankind. Even higher, in the heavens, the Holy Spirit soars in the form of a dove. It evokes a sense of serenity and freedom. There, in heaven, we can see numerous angels.

Well, a little lower on two tiers are people worshiping the Trinity. These are the saved souls that remained in heaven after doomsday- now they will forever be blessed and glorify the triune God.

Fresco by Masaccio "Trinity"

But this fresco is almost 600 years old. It was painted by the famous Florentine artist Masaccio, who was released completely short life- the painter did not live up to 27 years. However, this did not prevent him from perpetuating his memory in the form of priceless masterpieces of world art.

The fresco depicts the crucified Christ, but unlike most similar images, in the background we see the Father who supports him.

Icon "Trinity" Hieronymus Cosido

The plot with the Trinity was often used by the masters of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance to create magnificent paintings. They depicted the faces of the triune God, the crucifixion of Christ, the service of Abraham to three angels.

These images, of course, do not apply to icons. Moreover, even among secular paintings, they can be found much less frequently than, for example, the coronation of the Virgin.

The tradition of drawing three faces in one person was laid by the master of the late Renaissance, Jerome Cosido. Such pictures were intended to show the triune nature of God and, as it were, to explain to unbelieving people this most important position of the Christian faith.

However, this style never caught on. Of course, everyone has different tastes, but in this case, you can feel a clear dissonance.

Thus, the question of which Saints are depicted on the icon of the Trinity is not entirely correct. After all, the canvases always depict God himself in his three faces - the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. And Abraham and Sarah are his faithful servants who remained devoted to the Lord to the end.

Therefore, the icon of the Holy Trinity is not only an image of the triune God, but also a visible proof that the Almighty fulfills his promises, which means that all our bright desires will come true.

About different icons of the Holy Trinity

Priest Konstantin Parkhomenko

Often people come to the temple with a request to consecrate an icon, which depicts, as they say, the “New Testament Trinity”: God the Father in the form of an old man, God the Son in the form of Christ the Incarnate, and the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove.
I say: “But this icon is non-canonical…”
People are perplexed: “Wait a minute, we bought this in a church shop. What is there, will they sell something non-canonical? .. "

Let's talk today on the topic: how is it permissible to depict the Holy Trinity on icons.

In total there are several types of icons of the Trinity. I'll give you the main ones.

1. The "Old Testament" Trinity

An icon depicting the Trinity in the form of Three Angels who came to the forefather Abraham. This is an episode from the 18th chapter of the book of Genesis. Let me give you a snippet of this story:

And the Lord appeared to him (Abraham) at the oak forest of Mamre, when he was sitting at the entrance to the tent, during the heat of the day. He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men stood before him. Seeing, he ran towards them from the entrance to the tent and bowed to the ground, and said: Lord! if I have found favor in Your sight, do not pass by Your servant; and they will bring some water and wash your feet; and rest under this tree, and I will bring bread, and you will refresh your hearts; then go; as you pass by your servant.
They said: do as you say.
And Abraham hurried to the tent to Sarah and said: quickly knead three sats of the best flour and make unleavened bread. And Abraham ran to the flock, and took a tender and good calf, and gave it to the boy, and he hastened to prepare it. And he took butter, and milk, and a calf that had been cooked, and set it before them, and he himself stood beside them under a tree. And they ate.
And they said to him, Where is Sarah your wife? He answered: here, in the tent. And one of them said: I will be with you again at the same time, and Sarah your wife will have a son...

And those men got up and went from there to Sodom; Abraham went with them to see them off.

And the Lord said: Shall I hide from Abraham what I want to do! A great and strong people will definitely come from Abraham, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed in him, for I chose him so that he would command his sons and his house after him to walk in the way of the Lord, doing justice and judgment; And the Lord will do to Abraham what He said concerning him...

Here, in accordance with this story about the appearance of the Lord, He was often depicted as three strangers, or Three Angels, sitting on a visit to Abraham.

2. The "New Testament" Trinity, or the icon "The Throne"

This is the second type of icon. It depicts the appearance of the Three Persons of the Holy Trinity sitting on the Heavenly Throne.

3. Icon "Fatherland"

This is where the storyline comes into play. God the Father sits on the Heavenly Throne. On His knees is the lad Son. The Holy Spirit hovers over them.

4. Icon of God the Father

A very rare image, which is rude, as if ignoring all the dogmatic logic of the prohibitions of God the Father, depicts Him.

5. Crucifixion in the Bosom of the Father

This icon shows us how the Father holds the Cross with the Crucified Son. The Holy Spirit is placed next to it.

Now - a few words about the admissibility of such icons

For us, the program in this regard is the text of the Apostle John the Theologian: "No one has ever seen God" (John 1, 18). God the Father, continues the Apostle John, that showed us God's Son.

Thus, the image of God the Father, if possible, is only if He is depicted symbolically, for example, under the guise of the Son. It is this variant that we meet on the icons of the Trinity of the first type (to which Rublev’s “Trinity” belongs). On these icons, all three depicted characters have the features of the Son. In this way, the goal of the icon painter is achieved: to show that The Son revealed to us the entire Mystery of the Holy Trinity. The Son has revealed Himself, the Father, and the Spirit to us.

All other icons, despite their instructive accessibility (the psychology of ordinary believers is perfectly understandable: why guess about secret Trinity, here it is all at a glance), are incorrect from a dogmatic point of view.

Art historians wonder about the reasons for the appearance of these icons. Undoubtedly, there is the influence of the West, namely the Roman Catholic Church, where such stories were widely known.
The most ancient Orthodox examples of this kind are not in Russia. This is a fresco in Matejce, in Serbia (1356-1360) and a fresco in the Church of Saints Equal-to-the-Apostles Constantine and Helena in Ohrid, Macedonia (mid-15th century).

In Russia, such icons appear at the beginning of the 16th century. The Moscow Cathedral of 1554 asserted the possibility of such images according to Old Testament testimonies, while it is repeatedly emphasized that “painters do not describe God’s Being”, but describe, that is, they depict only the form under which God appeared in the Old Testament.

It must be recalled that, speaking of the Old Testament, everyone means the book of the prophet Daniel, where, indeed, a certain old man, the Ancient of Days, appears to the prophet. Here is one of these texts: “I saw in night visions, behold, with the clouds of heaven, it was as if the Son of man was walking, he reached the Ancient of Days and was brought to Him. And unto him was given dominion, glory, and a kingdom, that all nations, tribes, and tongues should serve him; His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and His kingdom will not be destroyed” (Dan. 7:3-14).
If in 1554 permission to paint icons depicting God the Father and God the Spirit was given, then 100 years later another Council banned such images.

The 43rd canon of the Great Moscow Cathedral of 1667 says (I will quote the original text without translation):
“We command ubo over icon painters, skillful artist, and good man(from the spiritual rank) in the elders, that is, the head and watcher of being. May the ignorant not scold the holy icons, Christ and His Mother of God, and His saints, squeaking with a bad and absurd letter: and may all unrighteous wisdom cease, which used to write all without witness: that is, the Lord of Sabaoth is an image in various forms [...].
We command, therefore, from now on the Lord of Hosts, the image should not be written in the past: in absurd and indecent visions of the hosts of Hosts (that is, the Father) no one can see when incarnate. Just as Christ is seen in the flesh, so it is depicted, that is, it is imagined according to the flesh: and not according to the Divine: the likeness of the Most Holy Theotokos, and other saints of God [...].
The Lord of Hosts (that is, the Father) is sitting on the breast, and the Only Begotten Son in His womb, writing on icons and a dove between them, it is not absurd and not decent to eat, for someone who has seen the Father, according to the Divine; For the Father has no flesh... For Christ Himself says in the holy Gospel: no one knows the Father, only the Son. And Isaiah the prophet in chapter 40 says: to whom will you liken the Lord, and to what likeness will you liken Him? to the drawing of an artist, and to the mind of a man. John of Damascus also says: to whom, invisible and incorporeal and not described and not figurative of God, who can create an imitation; extreme madness and wickedness to form the Divine. Similarity forbids about this and St. Gregory the Dialogist ...

And the Holy Spirit is not a dove in essence, but God is in essence. And no one sees God, as John the Theologian and Evangelist testifies, both if in the Jordan at the holy Baptism of Christ, the Holy Spirit appeared in the form of a dove; and for this reason, in that place, it is appropriate to write the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove. And in another place, those who have understanding will not depict the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove. Zane on Mount Favorstey appeared like a cloud, and sometimes, otherwise. Still, Sabaoth is not called the Father, but the Holy Trinity. According to Dionysius the Areopagite, Sabaoth is interpreted from the Jewish language, the Lord of hosts: behold the Lord of hosts, the Holy Trinity is, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Even more so, and Daniel the prophet says: as if he saw an old denmi sitting in judgment. And this is not about the Father, of course, but about the Son, hedgehog will be in His Second Coming to judge every tongue with a terrible judgment.

They also write in icons to the Holy Annunciation, also Sabaoth, Who breathes from the mouth, and that breath goes into the belly Holy Mother of God: and someone saw or something Holy Scripture He bears witness to this, and from where did he take it? clearly there is, as if such is the custom, and another similar, from some superstitious, or more than a speech of the wise and insane, will also be customary. For this reason, we command that from now on, let that superstitious and placeless writing cease. Tochi in the Apocalypse of St. John is written out of necessity, and the Father in gray hair, for the sake of the visions there.

Note that the only admission to write the image of the Father and the Spirit was made:
A) The image of the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove only for the scenes of the Baptism of Christ.
B) The image of God the Father should be left only for the image of the scenes of the Apocalypse, "for the sake of the visions there."

In the Russian Church, therefore, this issue was brought to an end. But the debate about the possibility of writing such icons did not subside. Another 100 years later, a similar ban was adopted in Greece.
Holy Synod The Church of Constantinople in 1776 “conciliarly decided that this alleged icon of the Holy Trinity (that is, the “New Testament Trinity”) is an innovation, alien and not accepted by the Apostolic, Catholic, Orthodox Church. It penetrated into the Orthodox Church from the Latins.”

Last question, which we need to ask: how to deal with similar icons that can be found even on the shelves of church shops?

Orthodox Christian should not have such icons in his prayer corner.
As we know, every icon needs consecration. There is a rite of consecration and icons of the Holy Trinity. However, this rank specifically indicates which icons of the Trinity can be consecrated. This is an icon depicting the appearance of the Three Angels to Abraham, and three icons that tell about the appearance of the Trinity in the New Testament: the icons of Baptism, Transfiguration and Pentecost.
An icon of a forbidden type, therefore, cannot even be consecrated.

There are dozens of options that will paint on the boards one significant event - the meeting of three wanderers. The history of the shrine is painted in the 18th chapter of the Book of Genesis and transferred to icons with a symbolic meaning, either depicting scenes with Abraham and his wife, wanderers, or outlining the plot of the appearance of three angels before Abraham.

However, the most famous among all the icons is the icon of the Holy Trinity, representing the Trinity of the Lord, painted by Andrei Rublev.

History of the icon

According to historical research, the first mention of the icon of the Holy Trinity, painted by Andrey Rublev, dates back to 1551, when it was mentioned in an order in the Stoglavy Cathedral. There it was about a certain shrine of the Trinity (members of the Zemstvo church knew about it), which fully corresponded to the canons and could be taken as an example. In addition, information about the shrine is contained in another source, namely, in the “Legend of the Holy Icon Painters”, which refers to the request of Nikon of Radonezh, the second hegumen of the Trinity Monastery, to write the icon of the Trinity in praise of Father Sergei, however, this version raises some doubts, although and is considered generally accepted. In general, the icon of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit has only two possible dates of creation: 1411 and 1425-1427. The first date refers to the construction of a wooden church after the fire, and the second to the construction of the Trinity Church from stone. Both numbers are based on the construction of cathedrals, so the question exact year the creation of the icon remains open to date.

This is where inaccuracies do not arise, so it is with the author of the icon of the Holy Trinity. They are definitely Andrey Rublev. Although once, after the icon was cleansed, some researchers doubted the authorship of the Russian icon painter, seeing Italian motifs in the shrine, but soon this assumption was debunked, and the influence of Byzantine painting turned out to be Italian motifs.

The meaning of the icon of the Holy Trinity

As mentioned earlier, the icon of the Holy Trinity has many symbolic images that form a general idea of ​​​​the event, and also through the details reveal the power and significance of the shrine for believers.

The central subject of the composition is a bowl. It reflects the suffering, the torment of Jesus Christ, through which He is ready to go in the name of atonement for human sins. The red liquid that will be poured into the vessel marks the blood of God collected after the crucifixion of Jesus on the cross. But even while the cup is not empty, now the head of the calf lies in it - main symbol sacrifice.

Three angels sit at the table in complete silence, holding a scepter in their hands, denoting power. Their heads are slightly tilted towards each other, and the contours of the figures resemble key image. Each of them has its own symbol. God the Father in a purple robe in the center blesses, bending two fingers over the cup. Behind Him grows the Mamvrian oak, which in Andrei Rublev acquires the meaning of the Eden tree of life. On the right side of God the Father sits the Holy Spirit, and behind Him is Christian church, the so-called house of the Holy Spirit. With a gesture of the hand, He blesses and at the same time directs the Son in an imperative form on the path of suffering. God the Son sits opposite. His head is humbly bowed, and his gaze is full of readiness directed to the bowl. Behind Christ rises a mountain - a symbol of redemption, which He definitely climbs.

What helps the icon of the Holy Trinity

As for help, the icon of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit is powerful in instructing a person on the path of righteousness and in cleansing from sin. The shrine helps those who pray in a difficult period, inspires hope when it is necessary to overcome difficult life tests. The image of the three Saints supports during strong commotion, experiences, and also helps in making important decisions.

Prayer icon

Similarly, the celebration of the icon of the Three Angels falls on "Pentecost" (the 50th day after the Resurrection of Christ), but believers can read the prayer every day.

Without the need, no one turns to the Saints, and blessing, because it is necessary, is also not worth it. The image of the Trinity will protect and help everyone who truly asks, one has only to say the words of a prayer in front of the icon of the Holy Trinity from a pure heart:

The Most Holy Trinity, consubstantial Power, all the good Wine that we will reward You for everything, even if You rewarded us sinners and unworthy before, Than we were born into the world, for everything, even if You reward us for all days, and if You have prepared for all of us in the future ! It is better, for a fraction of good deeds and generosity, to thank Thee not just words, but more than deeds, keeping and fulfilling Thy commandments: we, however, will grow out of our and evil habits, into innumerable from youth we will cast sins and iniquities. For this sake, as if unclean and defiled, not just before Your Trisagion face appear without a cold, but below the name of Your Most Holy One, speak to us, otherwise You Yourself would deign, to our joy, to announce, as if pure and righteous, loving, and sinners repenting, merciful and graciously accept. Look down, O Most Divine Trinity, from the height of Thy Holy Glory on us sinners, and accept our good will, instead of good deeds; and give us the spirit of true repentance, and having hated every sin, in purity and truth, we will live until the end of our days, doing Thy most holy will and glorifying Thy sweetest and most magnificent name with pure thoughts and good deeds. Amen.

The fact that philosophy begins with surprise, Aristotle said in ancient times. The same surprise is caused by the mysterious, and even somewhere paradoxical world of Christian dogma.

The greatest mystery can be considered the unity of the Holy Trinity, which to a mere mortal seems to be something incomprehensible. And is it possible to depict this unity graphically? It turns out yes. And thus appears the icon of the Holy Trinity, which is sometimes also called the Hospitality of Abraham.

The original compositions of the shrine

The plot of the miraculous image was based on a story from the Old Testament Book of Genesis, which tells about the meeting of three wanderers in the form of angels with Abraham and the hospitality that the elder surrounded them with. This is perceived as an instructive illustration of the two main commandments: love God and love your neighbor, i.e. Abraham saw God in three unfamiliar strangers and, serving the guests, served God.

Compositionally, the image changed over time: from initially everyday scenes with the presence of both wanderers and Abraham and his wife Sarah, to filling with a new meaning, when the three angels on the icon began to embody the symbols of the Trinity of the Lord, and their appearance to Abraham began to be called the appearance of the Holy Trinity.

Trinity by Andrey Rublev

The icon of Andrei Rublev can be found in Tolmachi in the Church of St. Nicholas. A classic example in Russian icon painting was the icon on this subject, created by the Monk Andrei Rublev. Of course, it is largely symbolic. So, The trinity is represented by three angels who sit at the table, symbolizing the Eucharist, the Lord's Supper. In the center of the table is placed a bowl - a symbol of the Expiatory Sacrifice.

The angel depicted on the left means God the Father blessing the cup. The angel sitting in the center is the Son. right hand He lowered him to the throne, symbolically folding his fingers, which expresses obedience to the Father's will, and also that He is ready to sacrifice himself in order to atone for human sins, showing this supreme love to people.

The Holy Spirit, an angel, located on the right of the image, as if completes with his gesture the symbolic conversation of the Father and the Son. On the one hand, this gesture affirms the highest significance of sacrificial love, and on the other hand, it seems to console the person destined for sacrifice.

Biblical realities are also present on the icon: the Mamvrian oak, in which the appearance of the Holy Trinity took place; and a mountain in which one can see both the place of the sacrifice of Isaac and Golgotha.

Holy Trinity, help us!

This image is purely Orthodox, because. It is this denomination that recognizes and believes in the trinity of God. The meaning of the icon "Holy Trinity" is truly invaluable. Turning to her will help to cope with all conceivable problems that concern a person, to find the right path, to revive hope.

Praying in front of this icon, you can read the prayers that are usually read in preparation for confession. This allows you to cleanse yourself of sinfulness. Confessing his sins, standing before the image of the Holy Trinity, the prayer seems to reveal them to the Lord Almighty directly, without intermediaries.

Trinity prayer contributes to the atonement of sins. What helps the icon "Holy Trinity"? Call to the shrine:

• in the most seemingly hopeless situations;
• asking for protection from any dangers, catastrophes and diseases;
• praying for the forgiveness of sins;
• praising the Creator.

Place in the house for the icon

As a rule, the houses of the icons are located in some specific place for them. If possible, it is better that they stand or hang on east wall- Christians usually pray facing the east. Our apartments are not always planned in this way, so there will be no great sin if the images are located, so to speak, according to their capabilities:

• can be placed at the head of the bed;
• opposite the entrance to the apartment;
• put on a shelf;
• put in a special locker.

Where the icon will be placed is completely unimportant, much more important is sincere prayers in front of it.

There should be enough space in front of the "icon corner" so that you can easily approach the icons and pray in comfortable conditions.

However, there are two nuances on this topic: if several icons are placed in your prayer corner, then it is recommended to place the “Holy Trinity” above the rest. Thus, as it were, they pay tribute to the power, incomprehensibility and omnipotence of the Lord.

And the second point: one should treat the place where the icons are located with the utmost reverence. It is necessary to constantly maintain cleanliness there, remove dust, change napkins.

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Prayer to the icon "Holy Trinity"

The Most Holy Trinity, consubstantial Power, all the good Wine that we will reward You for everything, even if You rewarded us sinners and unworthy before, Than we were born into the world, for everything, even if You reward us for all days, and if You have prepared for all of us in the future !

It’s better, for a lot of good deeds and generosity, to thank You not just words, but more than deeds, keeping and fulfilling Your commandments: we, by our passions and evil habits, are out of our minds, in countless from youth, sins and iniquities are cast down.

For this sake, as if unclean and defiled, not just before Your Trisagion face appear shamelessly, but below the name of Your Most Holy One, speak to us, otherwise You Yourself would deign, to our joy, to proclaim, as pure and righteous loving, and penitent sinners, merciful and kindly accept.

Look down, O Most Divine Trinity, from the height of Thy Holy Glory on us sinners, and accept our good will, instead of good deeds; and give us the spirit of true repentance, and having hated every sin, in purity and truth, we will live until the end of our days, doing Thy most holy will and glorifying Thy sweetest and most magnificent name with pure thoughts and good deeds. Amen.

Many holy fathers of the church believe that a real prayer appeal is one in which a person does not ask for anything, but only expresses gratitude to God for everything sent down by Him, realizing that even sorrows are directed for our admonition. And in correct prayers, hope is placed on God's concern for the righteous dispensation of the believer's life.

Therefore, when praying before the icon of the "Holy Trinity", one must have in one's heart repentance, humility and a sincere desire to fulfill the will of God in correcting one's life. And you can be sure that prayer appeal The Lord will certainly hear and give His grace and spiritual help to those who pray.

The main dogma of Christianity is the doctrine of the three persons of the one in essence God, who are Himself Holy Trinity. These three hypostases contained in Him - the Son and God the Holy Spirit are not merged with each other and are inseparable. Each of them is a manifestation of one of its essences. The Holy Church teaches about the complete unity of the Trinity, which creates the world, provides for it and sanctifies it.

The decoration of the table also attracts attention. If in Rublev it is limited to only one bowl with the head of a calf, which is also full of symbolic meaning and directs the viewer’s thoughts to reflections on the expiatory sacrifice of the Son of God, then in this case the painter emphasized the rich table setting, combined with the exquisite painting of the chairs. Such an abundance of decorativeness is not typical for an icon.

Trinity of the New Testament

The plot of the icons described above is taken from Old Testament therefore they bear the name "Old Testament Trinity". But one cannot ignore the frequently encountered images of the New Testament Trinity - a different version of the image of the Divine Trinity. It is based on the words of Jesus Christ given in the Gospel of John: "I and the Father are one." In this plot, the three Divine hypostases are represented by images of God the Father in the form of a gray-haired old man, God the Son, that is, Christ, in the form of a middle-aged man and the Holy Spirit in

Variants of the image of the New Testament Trinity

This plot is known in several iconographic versions, differing from each other, mainly by the position of the figures depicted in it. The most common of them - "The Throne", represents the frontal image of God the Father and God the Son, seated on thrones or clouds, and the Dove hovering over Them - the Holy Spirit.

Another well-known plot is called "Fatherland". In it, God the Father is represented seated on a throne with a baby sitting on his lap and holding a sphere in his hands in blue radiance. Inside it is placed a symbolic image of the Holy Spirit in the form of a Dove.

Controversy over the possibility of portraying God the Father

There are other icon-painting variants of the New Testament Trinity, such as "Crucifixion in the bosom of the Father", "Eternal Light", "Sending Christ to earth" and a number of others. However, despite their wide distribution, disputes over the legitimacy of depicting such plots have not ceased among theologians for centuries.

Skeptics appeal to the fact that, according to the Gospel, no one has ever seen God the Father, and therefore it is impossible to portray him. In support of their opinion, they mention the Great Moscow Cathedral of 1666-1667, the 43rd paragraph of the decree of which prohibits the image of God the Father, which at one time gave rise to the withdrawal of many icons from use.

Their opponents also base their claims on the gospel, citing the words of Christ: "He who has seen me has seen my Father." One way or another, but the New Testament Trinity, despite disputes, is firmly included in the plots of icons revered Orthodox Church. By the way, all of the listed variants of the New Testament Trinity appeared in Russian art relatively late. Until the 16th century they were unknown.