In this article we will talk about where the Orthodox architecture of churches comes from, what it symbolizes and what principles it is built on, as well as about the importance attached to different types of churches.
It's no secret that Christianity in Russia is not a native religion. Orthodoxy came to us from distant Byzantium. Yes, and the principles of building churches were based on the temples of Byzantium. But although initially Russian architects tried to copy the architecture of churches, over time, the construction of churches acquired a unique style and its own sacred meaning.
It can be said that the technology of how to build a cross-domed church came from Byzantium to Russia. It has its own distinctive features, since it necessarily has a dome, which is located on four pillars, symbolizing the four cardinal points and the four evangelists. After the four main ones, there are twelve or more pillars, the intersections of which form the signs of the cross and divide the temple into zones, each of which has its own name and purpose.
According to the research of historians and religious scholars, the cross-domed temple originates from the Roman catacombs.
In the catacombs, in place of the dome, there was always a source of natural light, it symbolized the light of God or Jesus Christ. Of course, the ground-based cross-domed temple looks incomparably more majestic than the catacombs. But still, some of the architectural similarities have been preserved.
The development of construction technology in Russia initially differs from the Byzantine one. After all, the main building material was wood, from which churches with domes in the form of tents were often built, because it is difficult to make a traditional dome from wood. Even over time, stone churches with domes in the form of tents began to appear. True, in the seventeenth century the construction of such temples was banned.
However, in Russia, and later in Russia, despite the wooden construction, more than one fully corresponding to the Byzantine cross-domed church was built. Basically, these are white-stone one-domed and five-domed churches.
Today, the architecture of Orthodox churches has advanced far ahead, if you look from the original Byzantine. But still there are many features and principles of building temples.
One of the distinguishing principles was the greater number of domes. And if initially one- and five-domed churches were built, now there are much more of them. Churches with one dome are dedicated to the unity of God andhis creations.
Double domes speak of the double creation of God, humans and angels, as well as the dual nature of Jesus Christ (god and human).
Three-domed are used as a symbol of the trinity.
The four-domed temples symbolize the four evangelists and the cardinal directions.
The five domes speak of the ex altation of Jesus Christ.
Seven-domed is evidence of the seven sacraments and seven virtues.
The temple with nine domes testifies to the nine angelic ranks.
The temple with thirteen domes is a symbol of Jesus Christ and the twelve apostles.
Twenty-five domes of the temple speak of the prophecy of John the Theologian.
And thirty-three domes testify to the full years of Jesus' life.
No other number of domes provided. But it is important to note that each element of the temple carries some kind of sacred meaning. Since the time of Byzantium, architecture has stepped far forward. However, all Orthodox churches are still built according to the cross-domed principle.
