What is a worship cross? Cross by the road: what is a worship cross

The geometric configuration of the cross hides an ancient secret. The symbol is closely interconnected with the life of all humanity, its emergence and death. Echoes of the worship of the cross in the diversity of its forms are found throughout the planet. Why did this mysterious multifunctional symbol so attract people's interest?

Undoubtedly, the worship cross was not originally a Christian or ancient invention. Its occurrence cannot be compared with any historical stage or nationality. Among many versions, there is an assumption that explains the cosmic origin of the cross. Even in prehistoric times solar system A colossal catastrophe occurred, after which the planetary poles shifted and the tilt of the earth's axis was distorted.

The planet itself moved to a new orbit. In other words, people discovered that the star in the sky began to move over a wider radius. Before the disaster, the circle described by the Sun corresponded to the equatorial plane. Subsequently, the divided circle began to intersect it at the points of the autumn and spring equinox, forming a cross. Later, astronomers called this process the ecliptic.

Sign of the heavenly cross

According to a centuries-old myth, the catastrophe destroyed the mysterious “third race”, which freed up the space of planet Earth for humans. The sign of this grandiose phenomenon was the cross formed in the sky, seen by people. American researchers claim that such a collision could well have resulted in such a phenomenon as a celestial cross! It has long been confirmed that almost 250 million years ago the “end of the world” actually occurred due to the collision of our planet with a comet or large asteroid. At that time, approximately two-thirds of living beings died, not only on land, but also in the ocean.

In accordance with prehistoric understanding, humanity resides in a common information matrix that has its source in the Universe. Like a living organism, she created many personal projections in her own image. Since man is also a prototype of the Universe, together with it he has an inseparable energy-informational structure.

Energy matrix of the cross

The universal symbol of the cross is presented as follows. The central straight line, located vertically, is the shortened upper straight line in a horizontal position, representing creative energy. Below is another longer horizontal straight line - the electromagnetic field. The oblique line underneath it is the angular torsion fields.

All energies are independent. During interaction, they form the energy-informational structure of a person. The stability of the system is determined by the stability of the information placed in it. The decisive point is torsion fields as information carriers. They contain the “Man” program, and the conscious energy is the controlling entity.

The appearance of the first worship crosses

What is a worship cross? This is spiritual protection even from invisible enemies. It is a symbol of gratitude and hope. There is an opinion that the initial appearance of crosses near settlements is closely related to Tatar-Mongol yoke. As if the bravest inhabitants, hiding from attacks in the forests, returned to the devastated territories, erecting crosses on the hills as a sign of reverence for God. At the same time, such symbols served as a kind of guide for other survivors, telling them that the hard times had passed.

The first solid crosses appeared in apostolic times. For example, even in The Tale of Bygone Years he describes the installation of crosses by the holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called. The direct prototype of the missionary symbol can be considered the one that Olga installed on the banks of the Velikaya River near Pskov about 1000 years ago. The holy princess and her companions noticed three heavenly rays meeting on earth. The erection of the cross was marked by what he saw.

Variety of shapes

Mostly Orthodox worship crosses are made of wood; less common are four-pointed stone or cast crosses. Moreover, there can be different ends of the cross - both round and pointed (triangular). A similar ancient Russian form of the cross is a designation of the Life-Giving Trinity.

Also a favorite form was the Morning Star. The blacksmiths decorated the radiant light flowing from the central part of the cross with stars. By the way, the task of visualizing vital spiritual light was solved thanks to these lines. In addition to the above, other images were also applied to the crosses. The dove and grapevine reflected the Holy Spirit. The image of flowers symbolizes the glorification of life-giving power.

Eight-pointed cross

The most common Orthodox worship crosses in Russia are eight-pointed. Above the main vertical crossbar There are two shortened ones, and one of them is oblique. The upper edge is directed to the north, the lower - to the south. The small top bar contains the inscription INRI. It was made in three languages ​​by order of Pontius Pilate: “Jesus the Nazarene King of the Jews.”

The lower crossbar reveals the foot of Christ, shown in reverse perspective. At the base of the cross, it is customary to place stones in such a way that a small hill emerges, symbolizing Mount Golgotha, where Jesus was crucified. The configuration of such a product perfectly matches the real one on which Jesus was crucified. That is why it is not only a sign, but also an image of the Cross of Christ.

Worship cross - a symbol of the Heavenly Kingdom

The eight endings on the cross mark an equal number of major historical stages in the development of all mankind. The eighth is the life of the next century, the Kingdom of Heaven. The end pointing upward symbolizes the path to this Kingdom opened by Jesus Christ. The beveled crossbar speaks of a broken balance after the coming of the Son of God for all those who are mired in sin. A new stage in the spiritual renewal of humanity has begun, a way out of darkness into light. The oblique crossbar reflects precisely this movement.

Seven-pointed cross

The seven endings on the cross with one upper crossbar and a beveled foot have a rather deep mystical meaning. Even before the appearance of Jesus Christ, clergy offered sacrifice on a golden pedestal attached to the consecrated throne. For example, as it happens among Christians today, through anointing.

Therefore, the footstool under the cross symbolizes the altar of the New Testament. Such similarity mystically points to the sacred action of the Savior, who consciously paid with his torment and death for human sins. Worship cross, consisting of seven ends, is usually found on icons of northern writing; similar symbols in Russia were often installed on domes.

Six-pointed cross

Six endings with a beveled crossbar at the bottom - this is one of the ancient versions of the worship cross. For every layman, he is the measure of conscience and soul. This happened during the crucifixion of Jesus between two villains. During the execution, one of the criminals scolded Christ. Another robber claimed that he himself was justly punished, and Jesus was executed without guilt.

On sincere repentance Christ told the criminal that his sins had been forgiven, and today he would take a place in heaven together with God. This symbolizes the upper end of the cross. The lower end of the beveled crossbar speaks of the terrible gravity of the sin of the unrepentant thief, dragging him into darkness.

Where are memorial crosses installed?

The tradition of installing worship crosses arose from time immemorial. In Rus', they were built at special memorial places, crossroads, near villages, villages, as well as on hills, at the junction of rivers and springs. There are several types of placement of worship crosses. It depends on various reasons.

Memorial (votive) crosses are erected in gratitude to God for some significant event. This could be liberation from enemies, all sorts of troubles, illnesses, the gift of an heir, etc. The described symbol sanctifies not only a person’s life, it is capable of blessing an Orthodox believer even after death. Accordingly, a worship cross in a cemetery is a symbol of hope, not suffering or sorrow.

Roadside crosses

Boundary, roadside crosses are placed near roads. Such structures were installed so that people traveling or entering a village could ascend prayer of thanksgiving God, heavenly patrons. Today it has become traditional to consecrate particularly troublesome sections of roads.

Previously, similar crosses marked not only the entrance to a village or city, but also the boundaries (borders) of agricultural land. Russian tradition has endowed roadside crosses with a kind of “roof” consisting of two planks. Sometimes they were equipped with an icon case containing an icon and a lamp or candle inside, called “cabbage rolls.”

Deputies

The crosses replacing the temple are placed on the site of a destroyed, burnt building. As an option, they mark with a stone the place where the foundation of the future church is located. Many similar crosses arose after the celebration in honor of the millennium of Russian Christianity.

Where are funeral crosses placed?

The funeral cross does not correspond to the person’s burial place. It is installed at the site of an unexpected death. Quite often such symbols can be found along roads. On the cross is placed the name of the person whose soul is being asked to pray for.

Undoubtedly, the worship cross acts as a landmark that increases the attention of both the driver and the pedestrian. Quite often you can see wreaths and rudders on it. It is completely inappropriate to fasten all sorts of things unrelated to prayer on such crosses.

Hint for travelers

Conspicuous crosses were intended as a guide for sailors, so their height reached 12 meters. In Ancient Novgorod, the installation of such worship symbols marked the beginning of the Pomeranian custom. Most likely, nowhere in Russia were they erected such a number of crosses as in coastal zone near the White Sea.

The descendants of the Novgorodians, who settled in this area in the 8th-9th centuries, preserved many of the proportions of the worship cross, as well as the traditions and beliefs of pre-Mongol Russia. Typically these products were made of wood, because north side it lasts a long time. The cross was erected as a landmark on visible islands, capes, and fishing spots.

Golden ratio proportion

When the Creator of all things created, He used the general proportion rule, which found its application in many human creations, including classical music. Proportions human body are also subject to this system. The worship cross, the dimensions and proportions of which are determined by the physique of our Savior, is a surprisingly harmonious symbol.

For example, the ratio of human height and the distance from the navel to the heels is identical to the sequential correspondence of the parameters of the phalanges between each finger. The Divine section was first used by the ancient Greek sculptor Phidias. This universal fit is equivalent to 1:0.618.

Principles of cross construction

Based on the golden rule, we will see that the ratio of the dimensions of the arm span and human height is actually the same. Therefore, the size of the horizontal beam located in the center Orthodox cross, is equal to the vertical length from the middle to the bottom crossbar. Based on these simple principles construction, it is easy to find other proportions.

Let's look at the dimensions of the worship cross. If we take the height of the eight-pointed cross as 1.0 m, then the distance from the outermost point of the structure to the crossbar located in the center, as well as the length of the top beam, is 0.382 m. The size of the gap from the middle to the top crossbar is 0.236 m. Distance from the top of the cross to the nearest crossbar - 0.146 m. ​​The distance from the foot of the structure to the lower skewed crossbar is equal to 0.5 m. Elements located vertically were stretched due to the height of the structure or the visual contemplation of the cross from the ground.

Making wooden crosses

Most likely, everyone already knows that our Lord Jesus Christ was crucified on a cross made of wood. In this regard, this material is predominantly used for the manufacture of worship crosses. The process itself is carried out by two or even three masters at the same time. Depending on the dimensions of the cross, the duration of the work process can sometimes take up to six months.

The basic rule is the correct selection of wood, as well as the proportions in relation to the height to the circumference of the beam itself. The higher the worship crosses, the production of which is carried out experienced craftsmen, the thinner the timber should be. This is necessary for regular air circulation, for quick drying after various precipitations.

The higher the worship cross, the stronger the material used should be. Mostly already tested species and ordinary oak, aspen, iroko, cypress, and pine are used. Sometimes a cross can consist of several breeds at the same time. On the front part of the structure the names of the Lord are reproduced: King of Glory, Son of God, Jesus Christ, etc. The back part of the worship cross is intended for those who died for the Word of God, as well as for devoted followers of Jesus who lost their lives because of fidelity to God.

The rite of consecration of the worship cross

The erection of worship crosses is a common Christian custom that is many hundreds of years old. Experts say that in the territory Ancient Rus' they were installed at crossroads, near villages and cities even before the Tatar-Mongol attacks. What is a worship cross? The reasons for its installation can be varied, but the essence is the same - a prayer of gratitude to the Lord. For example, you need to consecrate some significant event, but building a temple or even a small chapel is not feasible. Then they erect a cross so that anyone can pray here.

The erection of the cross is carried out only after a blessing by the bishop or his authorized person. This person could even be the parish priest. Believers can also participate in the event. However, the consecration of a worship cross must necessarily be carried out in the presence of a clergyman. There is a special rite of consecration. Holy water is poured onto the cross and prayers are read. Worship crosses are not installed where they could easily be desecrated. They are erected for Orthodox believers. The essence of faith in the Lord is the salvation of the soul, and not serving the devil.

Today, the cross is installed in the spaces allocated for the future temple, as well as at the entrance to or exit from the city. Usually there are wooden crosses, stone or cast ones up to several meters high. They can be decorated with carvings and ornaments.

We continue to tell our readers about the symbols of Orthodoxy. In the previous issue we told you what a chapel is. Next question, to which Priest Sergius Svirepov, rector of the Trinity Cathedral and cleric answered us Epiphany Church Serpukhova:

Orthodoxy is unthinkable without the worship of the Cross of Christ. The cross accompanies a Christian, starting with baptism. Pectoral cross worn around the neck, the cross crowns the dome of the temple, rests in the altar on the throne, is placed as a place of prayer, worship, thanksgiving - near the temple, near the roads, in the field and other, most unexpected places...

Outside churches and cemeteries, crosses were and are being erected primarily for religious purposes. The cross is a sign of our salvation. And just as we must think about salvation not only in the temple, so the place of the cross in our life cannot be limited only to the temple. By the way, I myself have more than once had to climb two Caucasus mountains, the tops of which are also crowned with large eight-pointed crosses.

It may sound surprising, but the tradition of putting up crosses came to Rus' even before it adopted Christianity. For according to the Tale of Bygone Years, the grandmother of the Holy Baptist of Rus', Prince Vladimir, Olga, began to destroy pagan temples along with idols, “and began to erect the crosses of Christ in those places.” Her grandson, Prince Vladimir Krasno Solnyshko, continued this pious tradition of erecting crosses, installing them at the founding site of a city, church, or monastery as evidence of the consecration of the place and asking the Lord for blessings to begin construction. There are many mossy stone crosses here and there that seem to grow straight out of the ground, for example, in the ancient Pskov region or in the Tver region.

The tradition of erecting large crosses in Russia is very ancient, and the main purpose of their construction is to remind the traveler of the eternal, of the need to sigh to God in prayer and worship Christ. But all these numerous crosses were probably erected for various reasons. This conclusion is easy to draw even from modern tradition erecting crosses, for example, at the entrance to a city, or at the site of a car accident - it is obvious that different motives encourage people to erect such crosses.

By the way, let’s define the terms. It turns out that calling all free-standing crosses “worship” (as we would most likely like) is not entirely correct. Modern researchers-staurographers (“stavros” in Greek - cross, staurography - the science that studies crosses) call such crosses monumental. All monumental crosses differ due to the reasons for their construction. Several large groups can be distinguished here.

In the old days, crosses were called worshipers, which were placed on the site of destroyed churches - where there was a throne and a bloodless sacrifice was made (this place was specially fenced off as holy). Such crosses in the Serpukhov region were installed in the villages of Kargashino and Priluki on the site where the temple and chapel of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary were completely destroyed.

There were many so-called votive crosses in Rus'. The very word “votive” tells us that the cross was erected according to “vow”, that is, according to a promise. For example, during an epidemic of plague, cholera or pestilence among livestock, in the hope of quick deliverance, people gathered for common prayer and made a vow to God to build a cross or a wooden temple in one night. News has been preserved that similar crosses were installed by the sovereigns Ivan the Terrible and Peter the Great. The first for the birth of an heir, the second - as gratitude for salvation in the storm. The most visible place for votive crosses was chosen - at intersections and along roads, where the crosses were clearly visible to passers-by, so that everyone walking by would honor the cross with prayer.

There was a tradition of protective crosses - they were the embodiment of a prayer to the Lord for deliverance from all evil. Such crosses were sometimes placed simply in ruined and dangerous places: They had to secure this place from the repetition of such misfortunes.

They were very popular in pre-revolutionary Russia boundary or roadside crosses. These are the ones we see most often now, because such crosses were placed near villages, along roads. Such roadside crosses marked the boundaries of large agricultural lands, and sometimes villages and cities liberated from invaders, that is, places where it was safe and residents could return. Sometimes roadside crosses had a special design: the cross was topped with a gable lid made of two planks. Often under this “roof” an icon case with an icon and a lamp was installed. Such a cross was called “cabbage roll”.

There were also non-religious purposes for installing crosses: for example, navigation. Conspicuous (up to 14 meters in height) crosses were located along the shores of the White Sea and served as a kind of lighthouses, navigational signs that showed sailors the way to the saving harbor - the upper end of the inclined crossbar always pointed exactly to the north, and information about them was contained in sea directions. Sometimes those in trouble at distant camps put up crosses to send news of themselves to passing ships.

There has long been a tradition of installing monumental crosses outside the temple on the ground. They are made of stone or wood and are up to several meters high. Such crosses call for prayer and worship of the Savior, which is why they are called worship crosses. They are placed for various reasons.
The first worship crosses appeared in apostolic times and in their spiritual meaning they were missionary. They were erected by the holy apostles, announcing to the inhabitants the beginning of Christian preaching in their lands. In particular, Nestor the Chronicler in The Tale of Bygone Years mentions the erection of crosses by the holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called on the Kyiv Mountains, as well as on Valaam after the overthrow of the idols of Perun and Veles.

The holy cross can also be considered an example of a missionary cross. Equal-to-the-Apostles Olga, placed on the banks of the Velikaya River near Pskov, in the place where the holy princess and her companions saw three heavenly rays converging on the earth. And also the cross of St. Stephen of Perm at the site of his first sermon to the Perm people.

The custom of erecting worship crosses on Russian soil dates back to ancient times. Our Orthodox ancestors, having a strong faith, knew about the meaning and importance of installing worship crosses in this temporary life and for the salvation of their souls and their neighbors in eternity. Therefore, worship crosses were placed at special memorable places, at crossroads, not far from villages and hamlets, so that, setting off on a journey or entering a village, a person would ask for mercy and help or offer a prayer of gratitude to the Lord and heavenly intercessors.

Such crosses were called roadside crosses, boundary crosses, and were installed near roads so that travelers could pray and ask for God’s blessing. Nowadays, it has become a tradition to consecrate dangerous sections of roads by installing a worship cross. Such crosses marked the entrance to a city or village, as well as the boundaries of agricultural land. Roadside crosses in the Russian tradition often had a “roof” of two planks, and sometimes a case with an icon and a lamp or candle inside and were called “cabbage rolls.”

Sometimes they put a cross on a vow, for example at the birth of an heir or on occasion important event in family life, such crosses in Rus' were called votive crosses.
For example, not far from Pereyaslavl-Zalessky there is still a chapel built as a canopy over a votive cross, which, according to legend, was erected by Tsar Ivan the Terrible in memory of the birth of the heir Theodore in 1557.

The vow to erect a cross of worship could be made by the entire village, for example, on the occasion of Heavenly intercession during epidemics, loss of livestock, drought and other troubles and misfortunes. Crosses were also erected in honor of saints revered in the area, church holidays, significant events in the life of the country and the reigning family. With the erection of the cross, the desert dwellers began their hermit life, and very often a monastery was later formed on this site.

This is evidenced by the wooden and stone worship crosses that have survived to this day in Russia. Orthodox worship crosses are most often found in wood, less often - stone four-pointed or cast. They can be decorated with carvings and ornaments. Their Orthodox content and orientation to the east remain unchanged. Stones were usually placed at the foot of the Cross to create a small elevation, which symbolizes Mount Golgotha, on which Jesus Christ was crucified. Participants in the event placed a handful of earth they carried with them from their threshold under the base of the Cross.

The peasant culture of the Northern Volkhov region is characterized by the presence large quantity wooden crosses of the 17th-19th centuries. The earliest of them are a cross of 1625 from the village of Bor and a cross of 1626 from the village of Nevazha.

These monuments attracted almost no attention from researchers of the region; at the same time, they are quite informative - both thanks to the inscriptions preserved on them, and in connection with their functions in folk culture. Thus, many wooden crosses contain inscriptions ordering the celebration of certain holidays: “Celebrate the holiday of the All-Merciful Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ and the Holy Great Martyr George” “Celebrate Reverend Father Sergius of Radonezh."

In addition, on most crosses it is indicated by whose “command” they were placed: “This Holy and Life-giving Cross of the Lord was placed for worship Orthodox Christian by the command of the servant of God Vasily Simanovich and his son Mikhail Vasilyevich Zheltukhin 7196 (1688) on the 5th day of August.”

The cross is placed on some occasion related to historical date, an event of spiritual life, and it is necessary to reflect this not only with text, but also with a cross image. The meaning is supported, filled and accentuated by the hierarchy of names, symbolic signs, and so on.

Crosses erected in memory of any significant events that played in the lives of Orthodox Christians are also revered in Russia. important role, such crosses are called memorial crosses. Let's list the most famous of them.

The Ignach cross dates back to 1238 - a sign in the form of a cross, standing at the turning point of Batu’s invasion from Novgorod. In 1352, Prince Boris Konstantinovich of Suzdal erected the Church of the Spaso-Efimiev Monastery, and St. John erected it here wooden cross. Around 1359, the cross of St. Stephen of Makhrishchi was also built.

In 1371, at the founding of the Prilutsky Monastery near Vologda, the Monk Demetrius erected a wooden cross; Around 1380, Saint Stephen of Perm erected a wooden cross and a chapel on the site of his first sermon to the Zyryans.

Another noteworthy cross is from the 17th century, which was made and placed by Peter I in Unskaya Bay on the White Sea coast as a sign of salvation during a storm on June 2, 1694, when he visited the Solovetsky Monastery.

Peter I himself carved the following inscription on the cross: “This cross was erected by Captain Peter in the year of Christ 1694.” After this, the unique historical monument changed its location several times: in the 18th century, the cross “behind rotting” was moved to the Assumption Church of the Pertominsky Monastery. At the request of the residents of Arkhangelsk and with the permission of Emperor Alexander I, in 1805 the cross was transported with full honors to Trinity Cathedral Arkhangelsk.

In the northern regions, crosses often served as navigational signs (the upper end of the inclined crossbar pointed exactly to the north); information about them was contained in sea directions. Such crosses were called noticeable and served as a guide for sailors, therefore they reached a height of 10-12 m.

There is a tradition in Rus' of erecting funeral crosses, which do not always coincide with the burial place of a Christian, but are placed at the site of his sudden death; in our time they can often be seen along the roads.

The tradition of erecting worship crosses is being revived in Russia. Today they are placed at the entrance to cities, on the site of destroyed churches, on hills, in memory of victims of repression, along highways at accident sites, and even in honor of the creators of the T-34 tank.

In 2003, in the village of Sholokhovo near Moscow, near the Museum of the T-34 tank, a worship cross was erected in honor of the designers of the tank and all its combat crews. Prayers and memorial services are held near it.

In May 1994, in memory and honor of St. Cyril and Methodius, Slavic teachers, a memorial four-pointed stone cross was installed and consecrated on a pedestal at the intersection of Pushkinskaya Street and Universitetsky Lane in Rostov-on-Don, in a small park. The author of this monument is Moscow sculptor Vyacheslav Klykov. Every year on May 24 Orthodox Church and all Slavic world honors the memory of the saints Equal-to-the-Apostles Cyril and Methodius - the creators of Slavic writing.

The worship cross is a spiritual shield from all enemies, visible and invisible. Many big cities Russia is fenced on four sides with protective crosses.

All worship crosses, having different memorable and significant meanings, first of all, serve as a place for believers to pray and worship our Lord and God Jesus Christ.

They appeared in apostolic times and signified the enlightenment of a particular land with light and the teachings of Christ. In Rus', the pious custom of installation several centuries later became especially widespread during the period Tatar-Mongol invasion.
Even then it was perceived not only as sacred symbol, but also had a very practical application - for example, a protective function.

What are worship crosses?

What are the differences between worship crosses?

There are cases when memorial crosses are installed where massacres were committed. One of these crosses was installed at the Butovo training ground. It was cut out and brought there from Solovki in memory of all the innocent victims during the period of repression.

The Solovetsky Cross was made in the Cross-Carving Chamber of the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Solovetsky Monastery. It reaches 12.5 m in length and 7.6 m in width.

Boundary crosses are erected along the roads. Their main purpose is an opportunity to pray away from and receive blessings for the future journey. In Rus', and later in Russian Empire, they were always installed at the entrance to locality, at a crossroads or even a state border.

Recently, on the roads we have increasingly come across another type of cross - funeral crosses. They are installed in the place of sudden death of people in memory of them and in the hope that believers, seeing this cross, will pray for the soul of the deceased.

Notable crosses in modern Russia extremely rare. According to custom, they were installed as a guide for sailors. Such crosses greatly exceeded all others in size and reached 10-12 meters in length.

One noticeable cross has survived to this day - anyone can see it when sailing past Holy Mount Athos.

Crosses that were often used in everyday life of any believer - gate and wall crosses. One was placed above the entrance to the home, the second was placed on the wall of the house.

The last type of worship crosses are those that are installed on the site of a lost temple. True, recently more and more crosses being erected have a completely opposite meaning and are laid not only where the temple was, but also where it is definitely planned to be built. The main thing is that no one destroys them anymore.

With the advent of Christianity in Russian Orthodox tradition began to widely use large wooden carved worship crosses. In the Russian North, such crosses have survived to this day. They mostly date from the 19th century. Most of them are located on the White Sea coast, the islands of the Solovetsky archipelago, Novaya Zemlya, Kargopolye, along the Mezen and Pinega rivers.
There are several types of carved wooden worship crosses, which look identical in appearance and are essentially an image Calvary cross. Height worship crosses usually reached 7-9 meters. Often the cross was supplemented with instruments of the Lord's passion: a copy of Longinus (Spear of Destiny, Spear of Christ) (left) and a cane with a sponge (right). Usually, for stability and safety, the lower part worship cross was installed in a log house (ryazh) filled with stones, personifying Golgotha. The top of the cross was protected by a roof.
Among Russian carvings worship crosses distinguish votive, thanksgiving, crosses – temple deputies, boundary, protective, memorable, funeral, roadside, noticeable crosses.
Votive Cross- during an epidemic of plague, cholera or pestilence among livestock, in the hope of deliverance, people gathered for joint prayer and made a vow to God to erect a cross or a wooden temple or chapel in one night. The most noticeable place was chosen for them, so that everyone walking by could honor the cross. sign of the cross and prayer. Pomeranian fishermen and Solovetsky monks had a tradition of placing votive cross before going to sea to return home safely. Clusters of votive crosses were located near the sea sites of Anzer (Cape Kaporsky) and the harbor of Bolshoi Zayatsky Island. And upon their happy return, they already installed thanksgiving crosses.
Thanksgiving Cross placed in gratitude to the Lord for deliverance from enemies, from various troubles, in gratitude for miraculous healing, for the gift of an heir, etc. Hundreds of crosses were installed by sailors on Solovki “in gratitude” for the successful completion of difficult sea voyages. Crosses were also installed in places where seafarers were rescued after a shipwreck.
The cross is the substitute of the temple placed on the site of a burnt or destroyed temple or on the site of a future temple.
Landmark Cross- this cross marked the boundaries of agricultural land.
Guardian cross- a protective sign that protects against robbery, crop failure, and the evil eye. Some villages were literally surrounded by such crosses. They were placed everywhere where evil spirits appeared: in the fields, at crossroads, next to village houses. Protective consecration crosses were installed on the ancient pagan temples of the Solovetsky archipelago.
Memorial crosses erected in memory of an event (the founding of a village or an accident) or of dead or missing people.
Funeral crosses do not coincide with the burial place of a Christian, but are placed at the site of his sudden death; such crosses can often be seen along the roads. On the funeral cross is placed the name of the one for whose repose those who placed the cross ask to pray.
Roadside chair t was installed along the roads so that travelers could pray and ask for God’s blessing on the long journey. Such crosses marked the entrance to a city or village. Roadside crosses in the Russian tradition they often had a “roof” of two planks, and sometimes a case with an icon and a lamp or candle inside and were called “cabbage rolls”.
Noticeable (lighthouse, navigational) cross- sign of Pomors, marked on pilotage charts. Such a cross served as a guide for sailors, so its height reached 10-12 m, while the upper end of the inclined crossbar pointed strictly to the north. Such crosses were common in the northern Pomeranian culture.
In 1928-29, during the Solovetsky Special Purpose Camp (SLON), thousands worship crosses Solovetsky were destroyed. But in the remote corners of the archipelago (Cape Kolguev) new crosses appeared, hastily knocked together by concentration camp prisoners. The tradition of erecting multi-meter worship crosses was revived on Solovki in 1990 after the restoration of the Solovetsky Transfiguration Monastery. In August 1992, with the blessing and participation His Holiness Patriarch Alexia II was consecrated and erected funeral cross in honor of the New Martyrs of Solovetsky at the foot of Sekirnaya Mountain (where during the camp there was a punishment cell). In July 1994, in memory of all the new martyrs, a monument was erected funeral cross near Mount Golgotha ​​on the island of Anzer.