Colors of liturgical vestments. Priest's vestments: clothes, headdresses, armbands, pectoral cross

Good afternoon.
Today at the Divine Service the priest wore light green clothes, not so long ago light purple, but more often yellow-gold. Tell me, what does the color of the clothes depend on and what does it mean?

Yuri

THE MEANING OF THE COLORS OF CHURCH VESTMENTS

Church vestments feature all the colors of the rainbow, as well as white and black. Let's look at the meanings of each color.
Let's start with white, which is a combination of all the colors of the rainbow.

WHITE COLOR

White color has very important spiritual meaning.
He is a symbol of Divine light. That is why white vestments are used on such holidays, when the appearance of the Lord and His Divine Light to the world is glorified.
What are these events of Sacred history?
Annunciation (Archangel Gabriel announces to the Virgin Mary about the coming of the Lord into the world, that Divine grace will overshadow Her, and She will become the Mother of God).
Nativity
Epiphany (when, at the Baptism of the Savior in the waters of the Jordan, the Heavens opened and a voice was heard from Heaven that this was the Son of God, and apparently the Holy Spirit descended on Christ the Savior in the form of a dove)
Transfiguration (When the disciples of Christ could not even look at Christ - the Divine light emanating from him shone so much)
Ascension of the Lord into heaven

It is no coincidence that on Easter, on the day of the Holy Resurrection of Christ, the divine service begins in white vestments. This means the Divine light that shone from the Holy Sepulcher at the moment of the Resurrection of the Savior. During the Easter service, the priest changes the color of his vestments several times. This is due to the fact that Easter is a holiday of holidays, it is a great celebration. And the play of colors emphasizes this. The Easter service begins in white vestments.

The priest also dresses in white robes during funeral services for the dead and funeral services. This is connected with what we ask the Lord for in prayers for our deceased relatives. We ask the Lord to rest them with the saints, with the righteous, to grant them the Kingdom of Heaven, where, according to legend, everyone is clothed in white robes of Divine light.

RED COLOR

This is where the colors of the rainbow begin. Red color is a symbol of the love of God and man.
This is the color of the blood that Christ shed for us. It is also a symbol of the blood that was shed for Christ by thousands of martyrs who suffered for the Orthodox faith.
That is why red vestments are associated:
First of all, happy Easter. We have already said that during the Easter service there is a change of vestments. It ends in red. And then, within 40 days after Easter - before the celebration of this holiday - all services are performed in red vestments.
And, secondly, with the days of remembrance of the holy martyrs.

YELLOW

Yellow is the color of gold. That's why yellow is called the Royal color.
Whom does the Church often call King in her hymns?
Christ the Savior, Who established the Church of Christ here on earth and placed His servants in it - the apostles and their followers.
It is no coincidence that one of the Magi brought gold as a gift to Christ: he brought gold to Him as a King. Let us also remember that the gates through which Christ invisibly passes during the Divine Liturgy are also called royal.
It is no coincidence that yellow is the most commonly used color for liturgical vestments. It is in yellow robes that priests dress on Sundays (when Christ and his victory over the forces of hell are glorified).

In addition, yellow vestments are also worn on the days of remembrance of the apostles, prophets, and saints - that is, those saints who, through their service in the Church, resembled Christ the Savior: they enlightened people, called to repentance, revealed Divine truths, and performed the sacraments as priests.

GREEN COLOR

Green is the color of life, the color of renewal, revitalization. Green color is a combination of two colors - yellow and blue.
Yellow, as we have already said, symbolizes Christ the Savior.
Blue color is a symbol of the Holy Spirit.
These meanings of the color green determine its use in church services.
Green vestments are used on the days of remembrance of the saints - that is, saints leading an ascetic, monastic lifestyle, who paid special attention to spiritual deeds. Among them are St. Sergius of Radonezh, founder of the Holy Trinity-Sergius Lavra, and St. Mary of Egypt, who spent many years in the desert, and St. Seraphim of Sarov and many, many others.
This is due to the fact that the ascetic life that these saints led changed their human nature - it became different, it was renewed - it was sanctified by Divine grace. In their lives, they united with Christ (who is symbolized by the color yellow) and with the Holy Spirit (who is symbolized by the second color - blue).
Clergymen also wear green robes on Trinity Day. On this day we glorify the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Church of Christ, on all believers in Christ. This is exactly what the Lord promised the apostles and happened on the 50th day after the Resurrection of Christ.
The Holy Spirit sanctifies everything, everything is renewed under His influence, everything is renewed - and a wonderful example of this is the first miracle that occurred after the descent of the Holy Spirit: the apostles spoke in different languages.
The green color of vestments on this day reminds us of this: the Holy Spirit (symbolized by the blue color) sanctifies all believers in Christ (symbolized by the yellow color). This unity with God is the symbol of Eternal life to which each of us is called.

BLUE AND BLUE COLORS

These two colors have the same meaning and are used either alone or in combination. Blue is the color of Heaven, from which the Holy Spirit descends on us. Therefore, the color blue is a symbol of the Holy Spirit.
This is a symbol of purity.
That is why the blue color is used in church services on holidays associated with the name of the Mother of God.
The Holy Church calls the Most Holy Theotokos the vessel of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit descended on her and She became the Mother of the Savior. Since childhood, the Most Holy Theotokos was distinguished by a special purity of soul. Therefore, the color of the Mother of God became blue (blue). We see clergy in blue (blue) vestments on holidays:

Nativity of the Mother of God
On the day of Her Entry into the Temple
On the day of the Presentation of the Lord
On the day of Her Assumption
On the days of glorification of the icons of the Mother of God

PURPLE

Purple is the last color in the rainbow of colors.
If you imagine the colors of the rainbow in the form of a circle, then in order to connect the ends of this circle, you need to connect the first color (red) with the last color - purple.
And then we will see that the purple color is between red and blue. It is these two colors - red and blue - that when mixed, form the color violet. Therefore, the value of purple is determined by the values of red and blue. Red is a symbol of the Love of God and man, blue is a symbol of the Holy Spirit. It is no coincidence, therefore, that the color purple is particularly spiritual.
Here's why exactly:
on the days of remembrance of the Savior’s suffering on the cross and His death on the cross (Sundays of Lent, Holy Week - the last week before Easter, on the days of worship of the Cross of Christ (Day of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, etc.)
Shades of red in purple remind us of the suffering of Christ on the cross. The shade of blue (the color of the Holy Spirit) means that Christ is God, He is inextricably linked with the Holy Spirit, with the Spirit of God, He is one of the hypostases of the Holy Trinity. Purple is the seventh color in the rainbow. This corresponds to the seventh day of the creation of the world. The Lord created the world for six days, but the seventh day became a day of rest. After the suffering on the cross, the Savior’s earthly journey ended, Christ defeated death, defeated the forces of hell and rested from earthly affairs.
This is another of the spiritual meanings of the color purple.
And one more important point - the purple color connects the beginning and end of the colors of the rainbow (red and blue). This corresponds to the words of Christ the Savior about himself: “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the First and the last.” The death of the Savior, the end of His earthly life, became the beginning of a new life - life in the Kingdom of Heaven.

BLACK COLOR

Black is also used in church vestments.
It is usually credited with the meaning of death. In the minds of Russian people, black color has acquired the meaning of humility and repentance since ancient times. This is why we see black robes on monks.
Black vestments are used during Lent (except for Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, when fasting is relaxed).
The black vestments remind us that Lent is a time of special repentance and humility.

For more than 1030 years, the Russian Orthodox Church has presented the world with biblical teaching about the temple and worship. The Holy Scripture compares the Flesh and Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ with the temple veil (Heb. 10:19-20), which was torn in two at the moment of the Savior’s death on the cross (Matt. 27:51; Mark 15:38; Luke 23:45).

Color diversity is an integral part of church and liturgical symbolism, a means of influencing the feelings of worshipers. The color scheme of liturgical vestments consists of the following primary colors: white , red , orange , yellow , green , blue , blue , violet , black . They all symbolize the spiritual meanings of the saints and sacred events being celebrated.

The most important holidays of the Orthodox Church and sacred events, which are associated with certain colors of robes, can be combined into six main groups:

Lord Jesus Christ, prophets, apostles and saints . Robe color - gold (yellow), all shades
Group of holidays and memorial days The Most Holy Theotokos, ethereal powers, virgins and virgins . Robe color - blue And white
Group of holidays and days of remembrance Cross of the Lord . Robe color - violet or Dark red
Group of holidays and days in memory of the martyrs . Robe color - red (on Maundy Thursday the color of vestments is Dark red , although all the decoration of the altar remains black , on the throne - white veil)
Group of holidays and days in memory of saints, ascetics, holy fools . Robe color - green . Trinity Day, Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem, Holy Spirit Day are usually celebrated on green vestments of all shades.
During the period of fasting, the color of vestments is Navy blue , violet , black , Dark red , dark green . Black used mainly during Lent. On the first week of this Lent and on weekdays of other weeks, the color of vestments black ; on Sundays and holidays - dark with gold or colored trim.

Burials are usually performed in white vestments.

In ancient times the Orthodox Church did not have black liturgical vestments, although the everyday clothes of the clergy (especially monastics) were black. In ancient times, in the Greek and Russian Churches, according to the Charter, during Great Lent they dressed in “crimson vestments” - in vestments of a dark red color. In Russia, for the first time, it was officially proposed that the St. Petersburg clergy should dress in black vestments, if possible, in 1730 to participate in the funeral of Peter II. Since then, black vestments have been used for funeral and Lenten services.

In the canon of liturgical vestments there is no “own place” for orange colors. However, it has been present in the Church since ancient times. Being a combination of red and yellow colors, the color orange in fabrics almost constantly slides: with a tint towards yellow it is perceived as yellow (gold often gives an orange tint), and with a predominance of red it is perceived as red.

Present in church vestments white color as a symbol of light, all seven colors of the spectrum of sunlight and black.

The seven primary colors of the rainbow (spectrum) correspond to the mysterious number seven, placed by God in the orders of heavenly and earthly existence - the six days of the creation of the world and the seventh day of the Lord’s rest; Trinity and Four Gospels; the seven sacraments of the Church; seven lamps in the heavenly temple, etc. The presence of three underived and four derived colors in the colors corresponds to the ideas about the uncreated God in the Trinity and the creation created by Him.

Feast of feasts - Easter begins in white vestments as a sign of the Divine light shining from the Tomb of the Risen Savior. But already the Easter liturgy, and then the entire week, are served in red vestments, marking the triumph of God’s inexpressible fiery love for the human race, revealed in the Redemptive Feat of the Son of God. In some churches it is customary to change vestments at Easter Matins for each of the eight songs of the canon, so that the priest appears each time in vestments of a different color. It makes sense. The play of rainbow colors is very appropriate for this celebration of celebrations.

Sundays, memory of the apostles, prophets, saints are marked in golden (yellow) colored vestments, since this is directly related to the idea of Christ as the King of Glory and the Eternal Bishop and of those His servants who in the Church signified His presence and had the fullness of grace of the highest degree of priesthood.

Feasts of Our Lady are marked by the blue color of their vestments because the Ever-Virgin, the chosen vessel of the grace of the Holy Spirit, was twice overshadowed by His influx - both at the Annunciation and at Pentecost. Denoting the intense spirituality of the Most Holy Theotokos, the blue color at the same time symbolizes Her heavenly purity and innocence.

On holidays where the direct action of the Holy Spirit is glorified - Trinity Day and Holy Spirit Day green color is used. This color is formed by a combination of blue and yellow colors, signifying the Holy Spirit and God the Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, which exactly corresponds in meaning to how the Lord fulfilled His promise to send from the Father to the Church united with Christ and in Christ the Holy Spirit, “the life-giving Lord " Everything that has life is created by the will of the Father through the Son and is quickened by the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the tree is shown as a symbol of eternal life both in the Holy Scriptures and in the church consciousness. So the ordinary earthly greenery of trees, forests and fields has always been perceived with religious feeling, as a symbol of life, spring, renewal, revitalization.

If the spectrum of sunlight is represented in the form of a circle so that its ends are connected, then it turns out that the violet color is the mediastinum of two opposite ends of the spectrum - red and cyan (blue). In paints, the color violet is formed by combining these two opposite colors. Thus, violet color combines the beginning and end of the light spectrum. This color is internalized by memories about the Cross and Lenten services , where the suffering and Crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ is remembered for the salvation of people. The Lord Jesus said about Himself: “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the First and the Last” (Rev. 22:13)

The Savior's death on the cross was the repose of the Lord Jesus Christ from His works of saving man in earthly human nature. This corresponds to the repose of God from the works of creating the world on the seventh day, after the creation of man. Violet is the seventh color from red, from which the spectrum begins. The purple color inherent in the memory of the Cross and Crucifixion, containing red and blue colors, also denotes the special presence of all the Hypostases of the Holy Trinity in Christ’s feat on the cross. The color purple expresses the idea that Christ conquered death by His death on the Cross.

The feasts of martyrs are marked by the red color of their liturgical vestments as a sign that the blood they shed for their faith in Christ was evidence of their fiery love for the Lord “with all their heart and with all their soul” (Mark 12:30). Thus, red in church symbolism is the color of the boundless mutual love of God and man.

The green color of vestments for the days of remembrance of ascetics and saints means that spiritual feat, while killing the sinful principles of the lower human will, does not kill the person himself, but revives him by combining him with the King of Glory (yellow color) and the grace of the Holy Spirit (blue color) to life eternal and renewal of all human nature.

The white color of liturgical vestments is adopted on the holidays of the Nativity of Christ, Epiphany, and Annunciation because it signifies the uncreated Divine Light coming into the world and sanctifying God’s creation, transforming it. For this reason, they also serve in white vestments on the feasts of the Transfiguration and Ascension of the Lord.

White color is also adopted for commemorating the dead, because it very clearly expresses the meaning and content of funeral prayers, which ask for repose with the saints for those who have departed from earthly life, in the villages of the righteous, clothed, according to Revelation, in the Kingdom of Heaven in the white vestments of Divine Light.

The Lord Himself testifies to the holiness of liturgical clothing. Being on the verge of the material and spiritual worlds, church vestments are a shrine and a visible image of Divine Glory: “And behold, a woman who had suffered from bleeding for twelve years, coming up from behind, touched the hem of His garment, for she said to herself: if only I touch the garment Him, I will get well” (Matthew 9:20-21; Mark 5:25-34; Luke 8:43-48); “And they brought to Him all the sick, and asked Him just to touch the hem of His garment; and those who touched were healed” (Matthew 14:34-36); “And His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became white as light” (Matthew 17:2)

Alexander A. Sokolovsky

To participate in the Divine service, deacons put on the following clothes: surplice, orarion and bridles.
The surplice is a long garment without a slit in the front and back, with a hole for the head and wide sleeves. The surplice signifies the purity of the soul. The right to wear the surplice can be given to both psalm-readers and laymen serving in the church.
Orarion is a long wide ribbon made of the same material as the surplice. Signifies the grace of God that the deacon received in the sacrament of the Priesthood. Worn by the deacon, protodeacon, hierodeacon and archdeacon on the left shoulder, over the surplice.
Handrails are narrow sleeves, fastened with laces. They tighten the sleeves of the deacon's surplice and the sacristan of priests and bishops. They are wide stripes of dense material with the image of a cross. The guards resemble the bonds (ropes) on the hands of the Savior during His suffering.

Priest's Robe.

To correct the Divine service, the priest puts on such garments as a cassock, epitrachelion, belt, armbands, phelonion (or chasuble), and a loincloth.

The surplice is a type of surplice intended for vestments of priests and bishops. The cassock is a long toe-length garment with narrow sleeves of a light (white, yellow) color. The bishop's cassock has gammata, or springs - ribbons that tighten the sleeves at the wrist, which are considered as a symbolic representation of the flow of blood from the pierced hands of Jesus Christ. The cassock resembles the tunic (underwear) in which Jesus Christ walked the earth.
The epitrachelion is a long ribbon that goes around the neck and goes down with both ends. Signifies the double grace, compared to the deacon, given to the priest to perform the sacraments. The epitrachelion is worn over a cassock or cassock. Without an epitrachelion, a priest or bishop cannot officiate. Seven crosses are sewn onto the stole. Six in front (three on each half), indicating that the priest can perform six sacraments. Another cross, the seventh, is on the neck and symbolizes that the priest has accepted his priesthood from the bishop and is subject to him, and bears the burden of serving Jesus Christ.
The belt is worn over the epitrachelion and cassock. The belt resembles the towel that Jesus Christ wore when he washed the feet of his disciples at the Last Supper.

Robe (Phelon) - the outer garment of a priest, worn over other clothes. The clothing is long, wide, sleeveless, with an opening for the head and a large cutout in the front, reaching to the waist, for free movement of the arms. The upper shoulders of the phelonion are firm and high. The rear, upper edge of the phelonion has the shape of a truncated triangle or trapezoid and rises above the shoulders of the clergyman.
In its appearance, the phelonion resembles the scarlet robe in which the suffering Jesus Christ was clothed and is interpreted as the robe of truth. On top of the chasuble on the priest’s chest is a pectoral cross.
Gaiter - a quadrangular plate, hung on a ribbon over the shoulder at two corners on the right thigh. Issued to priests of the Russian Orthodox Church as a reward for diligent, long-term service. Symbolizes the spiritual sword.

Vestments of the Bishop (Bishop).

The bishop (bishop) puts on all the clothes of a priest: cassock, epitrachelion, belt, armbands. Only the robe is replaced by a sakkos, and the legguard by a club. In addition, an omophorion, miter, and panagia are worn.

Sakkos is the outer robe of a bishop, replacing the robe and having the same symbolic meaning - the scarlet robe of the Savior. The cut is a long, loose garment (usually not sewn at the sides) with short, wide sleeves and a neckline for the head. Both the cassock and the stole are visible from under the sakkos.
The club is a quadrangular board hung at one corner, above the sakkos on the left thigh. In its symbolic meaning, the club, like the legguard, has the same meaning of a spiritual sword, that is, the Word of God, with which the shepherd must always be armed. But compared to the legguard, the club belongs to a higher level, since it also symbolizes the edge of the towel with which Jesus Christ wiped the feet of his disciples.

An omophorion is a long, wide, ribbon-shaped cloth, decorated with crosses. It is placed on the bishop’s shoulders in such a way that, encircling the neck, one end descends in front and the other behind (the great omophorion). Without the omophorion, the bishop cannot perform any service. The omophorion is worn over the sakkos and symbolizes a sheep that has gone astray and was brought into the house on the shoulders of the good shepherd ( Luke 15:4-7), that is, the salvation of the human race by Jesus Christ. And the bishop dressed in it depicts Christ the Good Shepherd, who took the lost sheep on his shoulders and carried it to the unlost (that is, the angels) in the house of the Heavenly Father.
Panagia is a small round image of the Savior or the Mother of God, decorated with colored stones. Worn on the chest, over the sakkos.

Orlets is a small round rug with an image of an eagle, placed under the feet of the bishop during services. It means that the bishop must, like an eagle, ascend from the earthly to the heavenly. The spiritual meaning of the eagle with the image of the city and the eagle soaring above it indicates, first of all, the heavenly origin and dignity of the episcopal rank. Standing on the eagle everywhere, the bishop seems to rest on the eagle all the time, that is, the eagle seems to constantly carry the bishop on itself.

Vestment of the Priests (Video).

Signs of Pastoral Authority.

During divine services, bishops use a rod or crozier as a sign of supreme pastoral authority. The staff is also given to archimandrites and abbots, as heads of monasteries.

Hats.

During services, the heads of clergy are decorated with a miter, or kamilavka. For more everyday needs, skufja is used.

Miter is a bishop's headdress, decorated with small images and colored stones. It commemorates the crown of thorns that was placed on the head of Jesus Christ. The miter adorns the clergyman, since during the service he depicts King Christ, and at the same time reminds of the crown of thorns with which the Savior was crowned. In the Orthodox Church, when putting the miter on the bishop, the prayer is read: “ Place, O Lord, a crown on your head and from other stones..."as in the celebration of the sacrament of marriage. For this reason, the miter is also understood as an image of the golden crowns with which the righteous are crowned in the Kingdom of Heaven at the wedding feast of the union of Jesus Christ with the Church.
In the Russian Orthodox Church, until 1987, not all bishops wore a miter with a cross, but only archbishops, metropolitans and patriarchs. According to the proposal of Patriarch Pimen, the Holy Synod at its meeting on December 27, 1987 determined that all bishops have the right to wear a miter with a cross. It should be noted that in some pre-Chalcedonian churches (in particular, Armenian and Coptic), a miter with a cross was worn by subdeacons.
A type of Orthodox miter is the crown miter, which has a toothed crown (usually 12 petals) above the lower belt. The crown miter was the main type of miter until the 18th century.

Kamilavka is a tall cylindrical headdress of purple color with an extension towards the top, an honorary award of Orthodox priests.
Skufya is an everyday headdress of Orthodox clergy of all degrees and ranks. It is a small round black, softly folding cap; the folds of the worn skufia form the sign of the cross around the head.

In the ancient Russian church, skufia was worn, according to the ancient custom of the Greek church, not only by priests, but also by deacons to cover their heads, on the top of which a small circle (humentse) was cut.
The purple velvet skufia is given to representatives of the white clergy as a reward - second only to the legguard. The skufja award has received significance since 1797.

Casual Attire.

The main everyday attire of the clergy and monasticism of all degrees is the cassock and cassock.

The cassock is an undergarment that is a long robe, reaching to the toes, with a tightly buttoned collar and narrow sleeves. For monastics, the cassock should be black. The colors of the cassocks of the white clergy are black, dark blue, brown, gray and white for summer. Material: cloth, wool, satin, linen, comb, less often silk fabrics.
Cassock is an outer garment with long, wide sleeves below the palms. The most common color of the cassock is black, but there can be cassocks in dark blue, brown, white, and less often cream and gray. The materials for cassocks are the same as for cassocks. Both cassocks and cassocks can be lined. For everyday use, there are cassocks, which are demi-season and winter coats. These are cassocks of the first type, with a turn-down collar, trimmed with black velvet or fur. Winter cassocks-coats are made with a warm lining.

All services, except for the liturgy, are performed by the priest in a cassock and cassock, over which special liturgical vestments (robes) are worn. When serving the liturgy, as well as in special cases when, according to the Rules, the priest must be in full liturgical vestments, the cassock is removed and the cassock and other vestments are put on over the cassock. The deacon serves in a cassock, over which is worn a surplice. The bishop performs all divine services in a cassock, on which special priestly vestments are put on. The only exceptions are some prayer services, litias, cell services and other sacred services of the bishop, when he can serve in a cassock or cassock and mantle, over which an epitrachelion is worn.
Thus, the everyday attire of the clergy is an obligatory basis for liturgical vestments.

The color of liturgical robes symbolizes holidays, events, and days of remembrance on which the service is performed. Let's list these colors:
- Golden (yellow) of all shades (Royal color).
Days of remembrance of prophets, apostles, saints, equal to the apostles, and other ministers of the Church, as well as blessed kings and princes, and on Lazarus Saturday (sometimes they also serve in white).
Golden vestments are used at Sunday services, as well as on most days of the year, unless someone is being commemorated.
- White (Divine color).
Holidays: Nativity of Christ, Epiphany, Presentation, Transfiguration and Ascension, Lazarus Saturday (sometimes also served in yellow), ethereal heavenly powers, and also at the beginning of the Easter service. White vestments symbolize the light that shone from the tomb of Jesus Christ at His Resurrection.
White vestments are used during the sacrament of baptism, weddings and funeral services, as well as when vesting a newly ordained person in the priesthood.
- Blue (the color of the highest purity and purity).
Theotokos holidays: Annunciation, Placing of the Robe, Dormition, Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Intercession, Introduction, days of remembrance of the Theotokos icons.
The robes of metropolitans are of various shades of blue, even blue.

Purple or dark red.
Cross Worship Week of Lent; The origin (wear and tear) of the honorable trees of the Life-giving Cross of the Lord; Exaltation of the Holy Cross.
Episcopal and archbishop's robes, as well as award skufiyas and kamilavkas, are purple.
- Red, Dark Red, Burgundy, Crimson.
The color of holidays and days of remembrance of martyrs. Maundy Thursday.
At Easter - the joy of the Resurrection of Christ. On the days of remembrance of martyrs - the color of the blood of martyrs.
- Green (the color of life-giving and eternal life).Disqus

Also, different attire is used for religious services and for everyday wear. Robes for worship look luxurious. As a rule, expensive brocade is used to sew such vestments, which is decorated with crosses. There are three types of priesthood. And each has its own type of vestment.

Deacon

This is the lowest rank of clergy. Deacons do not have the right to independently perform the sacraments and services, but they assist bishops or priests.

The vestments of the clergy-deacons conducting the service consist of a surplice, an orari and a bridle.

The surplice is a long garment that does not have slits at the back or front. A special hole was made for the head. The surplice has wide sleeves. This clothing is considered a symbol of the purity of the soul. Such vestments are not limited to deacons. The surplice can be worn by both psalm-readers and those laypeople who simply regularly serve in the church.

The orarion is presented in the form of a wide ribbon, usually made of the same fabric as the surplice. This robe is a symbol of God's grace, which the deacon received in the Sacrament. The orarion is worn on the left shoulder over the surplice. It can also be worn by hierodeacons, archdeacons and protodeacons.

The priest's vestments also include straps designed to tighten the sleeves of the surplice. They look like tapered sleeves. This attribute symbolizes the ropes that were wrapped around the hands of Jesus Christ when He was crucified on the cross. As a rule, the handrails are made of the same fabric as the surplice. They also depict crosses.

What is the priest wearing?

The clothing of a priest differs from that of ordinary ministers. During the service, he must wear the following attire: cassock, cassock, armband, legguard, belt, epitrachelion.

Only priests and bishops wear a cassock. All this can be clearly seen in the photo. The clothes may differ slightly, but the principle always remains the same.

Cassock (cassock)

The cassock is a kind of surplice. It is believed that Jesus Christ wore a cassock and cassock. Such robes are a symbol of detachment from the world. The monks in the ancient church wore such almost beggarly clothes. Over time, it came into use among the entire clergy. A cassock is a long, toe-length men's dress with narrow sleeves. As a rule, its color is either white or yellow. The cassock of the bishop has special ribbons (gammata) with which the sleeves are tightened around the wrist. This symbolizes the streams of blood flowing from the perforated hands of the Savior. It is believed that it was in such a tunic that Christ always walked the earth.

Stole

Epitrachelion is a long ribbon that is wrapped around the neck. Both ends should go down. This is a symbol of double grace, which is provided to the priest for conducting divine services and sacred sacraments. The epitrachelion is worn over a cassock or cassock. This is a mandatory attribute, without which priests or bishops do not have the right to conduct sacred rites. Each stole should have seven crosses sewn on it. The order of arrangement of the crosses on the stole also has a certain meaning. On each half, which goes down, there are three crosses, which symbolize the number of sacraments performed by the priest. One is in the middle, that is, on the neck. This is a symbol that the bishop has given the priest the blessing to perform the sacrament. It also indicates that the minister has taken upon himself the burden of serving Christ. It can be noted that the vestments of a priest are not just clothes, but a whole symbolism. A belt is worn over the cassock and epitrachelion, which symbolizes the towel of Jesus Christ. He wore it on his belt and used it to wash the feet of his disciples at the Last Supper.

Cassock

In some sources, the cassock is called a chasuble or phelonion. This is the priest's outerwear. The cassock looks like a long, wide dress without sleeves. It has a hole for the head and a large cutout in the front that almost reaches the waist. This allows the priest to move his hands freely while performing the sacrament. The mantles of the cassock are stiff and high. The upper edge at the back resembles a triangle or trapezoid, which is located above the priest's shoulders.

The cassock symbolizes the purple robe. It is also called the garment of truth. It is believed that it was worn by Christ. Over the cassock the clergyman wears

The gaiter is a symbol of the spiritual sword. It is given to clergy for special zeal and long service. It is worn on the right thigh in the form of a ribbon thrown over the shoulder and freely falling down.

The priest also puts on a pectoral cross over the cassock.

Clothes of a bishop (bishop)

The robes of a bishop are similar to those worn by a priest. He also wears a cassock, epitrachelion, armbands and a belt. However, the bishop's cassock is called a sakkos, and instead of a legguard, a club is worn. In addition to these vestments, the bishop is also dressed in a miter, panagia and omophorion. Below are photos of the bishop's clothing.

Sakkos

This robe was worn in the ancient Jewish environment. At that time, sakkos was made from the coarsest material and was considered a garment worn in mourning, repentance and fasting. The sakkos looked like a piece of rough cloth with a cutout for the head, completely covering the front and back. The fabric is not sewn on the sides, the sleeves are wide but short. The epitrachelion and cassock are visible through the sakkos.

In the 15th century, sakkos were worn exclusively by metropolitans. Since the establishment of the patriarchate in Russia, patriarchs began to wear them. As for spiritual symbolism, this robe, just like the cassock, symbolizes the scarlet robe of Jesus Christ.

Mace

The vestment of a priest (bishop) is incomplete without a club. This is a board shaped like a diamond. It is hung at one corner on the left thigh on top of the sakkos. Just like the legguard, the club is considered a symbol of the spiritual sword. It is God's word that should always be on the minister's lips. This is a more significant attribute than the loincloth, since it also symbolizes a small piece of the towel that the Savior used to wash the feet of his disciples.

Until the end of the 16th century, in the Russian Orthodox Church, the club served only as an attribute of bishops. But from the 18th century it began to be given as a reward to archimandrites. The liturgical vestments of the bishop symbolize the seven sacraments performed.

Panagia and omophorion

An omophorion is a long ribbon of fabric decorated with crosses.

It is put on the shoulders so that one end goes down in front and the other end goes down at the back. A bishop cannot perform services without an omophorion. It is worn over the sakkos. Symbolically, the omophorion represents a sheep that has gone astray. The good shepherd brought her into the house in his arms. In a broad sense, this means the salvation of the entire human race by Jesus Christ. The bishop, dressed in an omophorion, personifies the Savior Shepherd, who saves the lost sheep and brings them in his arms to the house of the Lord.

A panagia is also worn over the sakkos.

This is a round icon framed with colored stones, depicting Jesus Christ or the Mother of God.

The eagle can also be considered a bishop's vestment. A rug on which an eagle is depicted is placed under the bishop’s feet during the service. Symbolically, the eagle says that the bishop must renounce earthly things and ascend to heavenly things. The bishop must stand on the eagle everywhere, thus always being on the eagle. In other words, the eagle constantly carries the bishop.

Also during worship, bishops use a symbol of supreme pastoral authority. The staff is also used by archimandrites. In this case, the staff indicates that they are abbots of monasteries.

Hats

The headdress of a priest conducting a service is called a miter. In everyday life, clergy wear skufia.

The miter is decorated with multi-colored stones and images. This is a symbol of the crown of thorns placed on the head of Jesus Christ. The miter is considered to be an ornament on the priest's head. At the same time, it resembles the crown of thorns with which the Savior’s head was covered. Putting on a miter is a whole ritual during which a special prayer is read. It is read during the wedding. Therefore, the miter is a symbol of the golden crowns that are placed on the heads of the righteous in the Heavenly Kingdom, who are present at the moment of the union of the Savior with the Church.

Until 1987, the Russian Orthodox Church prohibited anyone except archbishops, metropolitans and patriarchs from wearing it. The Holy Synod at its meeting in 1987 allowed all bishops to wear the miter. In some churches it is permissible for subdeacons to wear it, decorated with a cross.

Miter comes in several varieties. One of them is the crown. Such a miter has a crown of 12 petals above the lower belt. Until the 8th century, this type of miter was worn by all clergy.

Kamilavka is a headdress in the form of a purple cylinder. Skufya is used for everyday wear. This headdress is worn regardless of degree and rank. It looks like a small round black hat that folds up easily. Its folds around the head form

Since 1797, the velvet skufia has been given to members of the clergy as a reward, just like the legguard.

The priest's headdress was also called a hood.

Black hoods were worn by monks and nuns. The hood looks like a cylinder, widened at the top. There are three wide ribbons attached to it that fall down the back. The hood symbolizes salvation through obedience. Hieromonks may also wear black hoods during services.

Apparel for everyday wear

Everyday vestments are also symbolic. The main ones are the cassock and cassock. Servants leading a monastic lifestyle must wear a black cassock. The rest can wear a cassock of brown, dark blue, gray or white. Cassocks can be made of linen, wool, cloth, satin, chesuchi, and sometimes silk.

Most often the cassock is made in black. Less common are white, cream, gray, brown and dark blue. The cassock and cassock may have a lining. In everyday life there are cassocks that resemble coats. They are complemented with velvet or fur on the collar. For winter, cassocks are sewn with a warm lining.

In a cassock, the priest must conduct all services, with the exception of the liturgy. During the liturgy and other special moments, when the Rule forces the clergyman to put on full liturgical attire, the priest takes it off. In this case, he puts a chasuble on the cassock. During the service, the deacon also wears a cassock, over which a surplice is worn. The bishop is obliged to wear various vestments on top of it. In exceptional cases, at some prayer services, the bishop may conduct the service in a cassock with a mantle, on which an epitrachelion is worn. Such priestly clothing is the obligatory basis of liturgical vestments.

What is the significance of the color of a clergyman’s vestments?

Based on the color of the clergyman’s robe, one can speak about various holidays, events or days of remembrance. If the priest is dressed in gold, this means that the service is taking place on the day of remembrance of the prophet or apostle. Pious kings or princes may also be venerated. On Lazarus Saturday, the priest must also dress in gold or white. A minister can be seen wearing a golden robe at Sunday services.

White color is a symbol of divinity. It is customary to wear white robes on holidays such as the Nativity of Christ, the Presentation, the Transfiguration, and also at the beginning of the service on Easter. White color is the light emanating from the tomb of the Savior at the Resurrection.

The priest wears a white robe when he performs the sacrament of baptism and wedding. White robes are also worn during the initiation ceremony.

The blue color symbolizes purity and innocence. Clothes of this color are worn during holidays dedicated to the Most Holy Theotokos, as well as on days of veneration of icons of the Mother of God.

Metropolitans also wear blue robes.

During Lent and on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Great Cross, clergy wear a purple or dark red cassock. Bishops also wear purple headdresses. The color red commemorates the memory of the martyrs. During the service held on Easter, the priests also wear red robes. On the days of remembrance of martyrs, this color symbolizes their blood.

Green symbolizes eternal life. Servants wear green robes on the days of remembrance of various ascetics. The robe of the patriarchs is the same color.

Dark colors (dark blue, dark red, dark green, black) are mainly used on days of mourning and repentance. It is also customary to wear dark clothes during Lent. On holidays, during fasting, robes decorated with colored trim may be used.

What do the colors in the church mean: why do priests wear purple or white, why are churches sometimes red or green, and some have 1 cupola, and some have as many as 15. I tried to systematize everything and supplement the material with photographs.
I would especially like to remind you that it is not appropriate for a Christian, Baptized in Orthodoxy, not to go to church for more than 3 Sundays in a row. For Salvation is not in the symbols we are now discussing, but in deeds.
However, often it is symbols: beautiful singing, rich decoration and clothing that become the first step on the path to practical Orthodoxy...

A little about strange beliefs

Any church of God has a Holy Altar - the place where the main Orthodox service - the Liturgy - is performed. And the Liturgy can only be celebrated on the Antimension - a plate in which the bishop, during the consecration of the temple, sews up a special capsule with the relics of the Saints. Those. There are always pieces of Holy relics in the temple. But now the temple is consecrated in honor of some holiday (and not for “health” and “peace”). There may be several altars in a temple, but there is always a main one, after which it is named, and there are side chapels. You've probably heard: Trinity churches - in honor of the feast of the Holy Trinity, or Pentecost, which occurs on the 50th day after Easter, there are Annunciation churches - the feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (April 7), there are St. Nicholas churches - in honor of Nicholas the World of Lycia the Wonderworker, etc. This means that the main altar of the temple was consecrated in honor of this holiday. All Sacraments (Baptism-Confirmation, Confession, Communion, Wedding) can take place in any Orthodox church. The exceptions are monasteries; in them, as a rule, the Sacraments of Marriages (and sometimes Baptisms) are not performed. It was also strange to hear the superstition that in a church with red exterior walls it is impossible to get married and baptize children. Don't listen to such horror stories, it's all nonsense.

About flowers

In Orthodoxy they use: Yellow, White Blue (Blue), Green, Red, Purple, Black and Burgundy. Each of the flowers in the Church has a symbolic meaning:
Yellow (Gold) - Royal color. For vestments it is used on most days of the year.
The white color of vestments is used when performing the Sacraments of Baptism and Priesthood (ordination of the clergy), on the holidays of the Nativity of Christ, Holy Epiphany, Candlemas, Lazarus Saturday, Ascension, Transfiguration, on the days of remembrance of the dead and the funeral rite.
The color red is used from Easter to Ascension, and at other times on the days of remembrance of martyrs, symbolizing their closeness in martyrdom with Christ and the Resurrection.
Green is the color of life-giving and eternal life - green vestments are used on the Feast of the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem (Palm Sunday), on the day of Holy Pentecost (Trinity), as well as on Holidays in memory of saints, ascetics, and holy fools.
Blue (blue) color symbolizes the highest purity and innocence - vestments of blue (blue) color are used on the feasts of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The purple color symbolizes the Cross and the Passion of Christ - purple vestments are used on the Feasts of the Life-giving Cross of the Lord (Cross Veneration Week of Lent, Origin (wearing out) of the honorable trees of the Life-giving Cross of the Lord on August 14, Exaltation of the Cross), as well as on Sundays during Lent, on Maundy Thursday of Holy Week.
Black is the color of fasting and repentance - Lenten vestments are usually black or very dark shades of blue, purple, and are used during the weeks of Great Lent.
Burgundy (Crimson) color symbolizes blood and martyrdom. Burgundy vestments are used very rarely - on days of special commemoration of martyrs (red vestments are also used) and on Holy Thursday, the day of the establishment of the Last Supper (purple vestments are also used on this day).
And if the color of the vestments is recommended, then there is no strict rule (Charter Instruction or Canon) for choosing the color of the temple walls or domes. During construction, the architect is puzzled by this. Throughout life, the color of the walls can change: a new abbot has come, and the temple is no longer yellow, but blue. Often churches are left unplastered, and then the walls have the color of brick: red or white. However, the color of the walls is still given according to tradition. Thus, the walls of churches consecrated in honor of the Most Holy Theotokos are most often painted blue (blue is the color of the Holy Spirit). The walls of the Holy Cross Churches are painted in a rare purple color. Green is the color most often found on Trinity churches. The red color is more often found at Resurrection churches or at churches dedicated to the memory of the Holy Martyrs. Yellow wall color is a universal color, the color of Truth. Just as yellow (golden) clothes are used in worship whenever there is no need to use clothes of a different color (more on this later), yellow can also be found on the walls of temples very often. The white color of the walls may mean that the church was built quite recently and they haven’t gotten around to painting it yet, or it may also mean that the parish does not have enough money for painting. White is no less universal color than yellow. And I repeat - the color of the walls can symbolize something, but not necessarily.

About the number of temple domes

The dome of the temple does not depict Christ, it is a symbol of Him. In the traditions of the Church, color is considered to have a symbolic meaning.
Gold is a symbol of Truth. Historically, the domes of the main cathedrals were gilded, but recently this tradition has not been maintained.
Silvery domes are found mainly at churches in honor of saints.
Green domes - at churches in honor of the Trinity or St.
Blue domes (often with stars) are at churches in honor of the Mother of God feasts.
Black domes are often found in monasteries, although the copper used to cover the domes quickly darkens and the domes become dark green.
There are also quite exotic ones - for example, St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow, the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood in St. Petersburg. This is what they try to be guided by when choosing the color of the domes.
The main temples and the temples dedicated to Christ and the twelve feasts had golden domes.

Blue domes with stars crown churches dedicated to the Mother of God, because the star recalls the birth of Christ from the Virgin Mary.

Trinity churches had green domes, because green is the color of the Holy Spirit.

Temples dedicated to saints are often topped with green or silver domes.

In monasteries there are black domes - this is the color of monasticism.

The number of domes on the temple also has symbolism. One dome symbolizes the One God, two - the two natures of Christ: human and Divine, two denotes something fundamental (two tablets of the Decalogue, two pillars at the gates of the Temple, the Law and the Prophets, personified on the Mount of Transfiguration by Moses and Elijah, the departure of the apostles in twos, two witnesses Christ at the end of times in Rev. 11:3), three - the Holy Trinity, four - Universality (four cardinal directions), the Four Gospels; five domes - Christ and the four evangelists, six - the number of days of the creation of the world, seven chapters - the seven Sacraments of the Church; eight - Eight souls were saved by Noah after the Great Flood; on the eighth day there is the Feast of Tabernacles, Circumcision, etc.; nine domes - according to the number of angelic ranks, according to the number of beatitudes; 10 - one of the symbols of complete completeness (10 Egyptian plagues, 10 commandments) 12 -
According to the number of apostles, thirteen are Christ and the twelve apostles, 15 are the fifteen steps to Easter, the Proverbs of Holy Saturday number 15, revealing the events in the Old Testament from the creation of the world to the Resurrection. The number of chapters can reach up to thirty-three - according to the number of years of the Savior’s earthly life. However, the color and number of domes is determined by the architect’s idea and the possibilities of the arrival in any variations. There is no canonical indication of the number and color of cupolas.

The color scheme of liturgical vestments consists of the following primary colors: red, white, gold (yellow), green, blue (cyan), violet, black. They all symbolize the spiritual meanings of the saints and sacred events being celebrated. On Orthodox icons, the colors in the depiction of faces, robes, objects, the background itself, or “light”, as it was accurately called in ancient times, also have a deeply symbolic meaning.
Red. The Feast of Feasts - Easter of Christ begins in white vestments as a sign of Divine light. But already the Easter Liturgy (in some churches it is customary to change vestments, so that the priest appears each time in vestments of a different color) and the entire week is served in red vestments. Red clothes are often used before Trinity. The feasts of martyrs adopted the red color of liturgical vestments as a sign that the blood shed by them for their faith in Christ was evidence of their fiery love for the Lord.
The white color of liturgical vestments is adopted on the holidays of the Nativity of Christ, Epiphany, and Annunciation because it signifies the uncreated Divine Light coming into the world and sanctifying God’s creation, transforming it. For this reason, they also serve in white vestments on the feasts of the Transfiguration and Ascension of the Lord. White color is also adopted for funeral services and commemoration of the dead, because it very clearly expresses the meaning and content of funeral prayers, which ask for repose with the saints for those who have departed from earthly life, in the villages of the righteous, clothed, according to Revelation, in the Kingdom of Heaven in the white vestments of the Divine Sveta. White is the Angelic color, and it is the Angels who greet all those who have departed to the Lord.
Sundays, the memory of the apostles, prophets, and saints are celebrated in golden (yellow) colored vestments, since this is directly related to the idea of Christ as the King of Glory and the Eternal Bishop and of those His servants who in the Church signified His presence and had the fullness of grace highest degree of priesthood.
Feasts of Our Lady are marked by the color blue. The blue color symbolizes Her heavenly purity and purity.
The green color of vestments for the days of remembrance of ascetics and saints means that spiritual feat, while killing the sinful principles of the lower human will, does not kill the person himself, but revives him by combining him with Jesus Christ the King of Glory (yellow color) and the grace of the Holy Spirit (blue color) to eternal life and renewal of all human nature. On the Feasts of the Holy Trinity and the Day of the Holy Spirit, green clothes are worn. And the ordinary earthly greenery of trees, forests and fields has always been perceived with religious feeling, as a symbol of life, spring, renewal.
If the spectrum of sunlight is represented in the form of a circle so that its ends are connected, then it turns out that the violet color is the mediastinum of two opposite ends of the spectrum - red and cyan (blue). In paints, the color violet is formed by combining these two opposite colors. Thus, violet color combines the beginning and end of the light spectrum. This color is appropriated to the memories of the Cross and Lenten services, where the suffering and Crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ for the salvation of people are remembered. The Lord Jesus said about Himself: “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the First and the Last” (Rev. 22:13). The Savior's death on the cross was the repose of the Lord Jesus Christ from His works of saving man in earthly human nature. This corresponds to the repose of God from the works of creating the world on the seventh day, after the creation of man. Violet is the seventh color from red, from which the spectral range begins. The purple color inherent in the memory of the Cross and Crucifixion, containing red and blue colors, also denotes a certain special presence of all the Hypostases of the Holy Trinity in the feat of the cross of Christ. And at the same time, the color violet can express the idea that by His death on the Cross Christ conquered death, since combining the two extreme colors of the spectrum together does not leave any place for blackness in the vicious circle of colors thus formed, as a symbol of death. The color violet is striking in its deepest spirituality. As a sign of higher spirituality, combined with the idea of the Savior’s feat on the cross, this color is used for the bishop’s mantle, so that the Orthodox bishop, as it were, is fully clothed in the feat of the cross of the Heavenly Bishop, whose image and imitator the bishop is in the Church. The award purple skufiyas and kamilavkas of the clergy have similar semantic meanings.