The
Cathedral in honour of the Nativity of Christ was consecrated on Sunday,
November 26. The workshops of St Elisabeth Convent made a significant
contribution to the decoration of the cathedral. Brothers and sisters from the
Icon Painting Studio, Mural Painting workshop, and embroidery workshop have
participated in decorating this church.
The image
of Christ the Pantocrator in the central apse's conch is the first thing the
faithful see as they walk into the cathedral. The side apses feature paintings
with icons of the Mother of God the Orans and Prophet John the Forerunner, the
so-called Deësis (praying to the Saviour), which is a popular theme in
traditional fresco painting art.
The icons
in the two-tier iconostasis are coloristically and compositionally united with
the fresco paintings on the wall of the Holy Nativity Cathedral. The upper-tier
icons, which are often referred to as festive icons, portray Gospel events.
Their location is not accidental, either. The icons of the Marian feasts are
located in the side apse with an image of the Mother of God; the icons of
Lord's feasts are located in the central apse under the image of the Holy
Saviour; and the icons that describe the life of St John the Baptist are
located under the image of St John the Baptist.
The lower
tier is interrupted by the central door and the side (deacon's) doors. There is
an image of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos on the Royal Door, with
Archangel Gabriel to the left and Virgin Mary to the right. The side doors are
decorated with icons of Old Testament prophets: Moses and his older brother
Aaron the High Priest. The authors implemented the idea to hang curtains with
embroidered Seraphim and Cherubim above these doors. Embroidered images like
these can be traced back to the decorations of the Old Testament Tabernacle.
The Royal Door curtain has an embroidery of the Crucifixion with the Theotokos
and St John the Theologian on both sides. The icon of the Crucified Lord must
remind us of his great sacrifice for the sake of our salvation. The Cross is
the Tree of Life, the fruit of which we all are called to eat during the Holy
Eucharist.
The
believers will see full-figure icons of the Holy Saviour and the Mother of God
with Baby Jesus in her arms on both sides of the Royal Door. An icon of the
Nativity of Christ, which is the main icon of this cathedral, is to the right
of the icon of the Holy Saviour, and an icon of the Resurrection of Christ,
which shows his descent into hell, is to the left of the icon of Theotokos.
The
lower-tier icons in the side apses include full-figure images of Holy Apostles
Peter and Paul, St Nicholas the Wonderworker, St Cyril of Turaŭ, the holy
patronesses of Belarus — St Euphrosyne of Polotsk and St Sophia of Slutsk, as
well as the saints who are especially venerated by the residents of Salihorsk:
St Gabriel of Bialystok, Great Martyr Barbara, and New Martyr John of Čyževičy.
Our icon
painters painted the Calvary cross, too. A Calvary cross is a standing crucifix
with figures, which the faithful can kiss in prayer.
The Most
Reverend Pavel, Metropolitan of Minsk and Zaslavl, the Patriarchal Exarch of
All Belarus, who performed the rite of Great Consecration of the Cathedral and
celebrated the Divine Liturgy together with other hierarchs, also noted in his
sermon how beautiful this cathedral is. Metropolitan Pavel thanked the Rt Rev
Anthony, bp. of Slutsk and Salihorsk, for finishing the construction of the
Cathedral.
Many pilgrims
from all over Belarus prayed in the Cathedral during the Liturgy. There were
representatives of the local authorities, directors of industrial enterprises
based in Salihorsk, and the benefactors of the Cathedral among the honorary
guests.
The parish
of the Holy Nativity Cathedral includes several churches: a baptismal church in
honour of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos; a lower church in honour of
the Nativity of St John the Baptist; and the Cathedral in honour of the
Nativity of Christ. There will be a two-storied building for the Sunday School,
a Sisterhood and a Youth Fellowship, near the Cathedral. The Holy Nativity
Cathedral is intended to become a spiritual education centre for the Diocese of
Slutsk and Salihorsk.
November 28, 2017
St.
Elisabeth Convent
CONVERSATION