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There are also so called “Deacon’s Gates”, for the helpers of the
priest.
In the center of the main nave there is a Cross and the icon which is
adored by the faithful. The last part of the church was used by women, who
were not allowed to enter the main nave. Now it is a vestibule. Above it
there is a choir with a psalmist. There are no musical instruments in the
Orthodox Church.
The Orthodox Church was built on the Greek Cross view. Each part was
topped with separate domes. The number of domes is connected with the
following numbers: One God, Holy Trinity, Five wounds of God, Twelve
Apostles. In the oldest Orthodox Churches there are two rooms called
‘diakonios’ and ‘protesis’. In the former sacrifices were stored whereas
in the latter one books and liturgical robes. There were also so called
‘kryłosy’ (wings) next to the presbytery, which were for the superior
clergy.
The Orthodox Churches were built in the visible places, in the center of
the village or on the hills – closer to the God. The presbytery is always
on the East side of the Church. The place where the Orthodox Church is, is
surrounded by the symbolic wall, which indicates the holy place. It
symbolizes the unity of dead and alive.
Nearby the Church there is also a group of trees, mostly limes and oaks,
which symbolize:
- lime – the symbol of health and feminity;
- oak – the symbol of strength and masculinity.
In front of the church there was also a belfry, which at the same time was
a gate. Interestingly, there weren’t any windows on the North side. It was
said that evil spirits came from that direction. Orthodox Churches were
usually made of wood. They were built by putting pales of wood one above
the other. The fundaments were made of stone. The roofs were covered with
shingle.
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