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With the blessing of the abbot, Archimandrite Porfiry (Shutov), ​​the Solovetsky Monastery began production of cast crosses. The artistic content of the crosses is born in Solovki. Based on ancient models, their designs are developed in the cross-carving workshops of the monastery. In accordance with the Solovetsky sketches, the crosses are then cast in the jewelry workshops of the city of Kostroma. Currently, three types of such crosses are produced.

The anchor-shaped cross appeared first. This form was not chosen by chance. The anchor was used as a secret sign by the first Christians; the cross is often called the anchor of our salvation. An anchor, whose purpose is to save the ship from destruction, and is similar in shape to a cross. For a monastery located on an island in the middle of the waters, this maritime symbol is especially close. It is not for nothing that many pilgrims are convinced that the real Solovetsky cross is an anchor-shaped cross.

Following him, they began to make crosses resembling the Novgorod and Pskov mortgage crosses, as well as T-shaped ones. The T-shaped cross, otherwise called the “Antonievsky” or “Tau cross,” is one of the oldest. It has been known since Old Testament times. Crosses of this shape were also used to execute criminals in the Roman Empire. This letter was considered both a symbol and the image of the cross itself. He wore a similar cross on his clothes Reverend Anthony Great.

Embedded crosses were built into the walls of ancient stone churches. This form reminds us that the monastery arose and for a long time was in Novgorod lands. The upper rounded part of the cross is crossed crosswise, so its shape is similar to the so-called. solar crosses.

On front side All crosses have an eight-pointed “Golgotha” cross in the center. Next to it are inscriptions and images that reveal the theological meaning of the cross. Here are the names of God, and the instruments of the passion of the Lord, and Mount Golgotha, and the head of Adam and many other symbols and monograms. But on the reverse side there is a text inscribed in the cross: “Blessing of the Solovetsky Monastery”, in the center of which is the monogram “ICXC” and the word “Nika”. Below the cross, in mast script, is depicted part of the prayer “May God rise again.”

The monastery plans to create new types of crosses. In addition, the production of cast household items, jewelry, and accessories with Orthodox symbols will be established. The revived foundry continues and develops the traditions of ancient monastic production.

On the week of the Worship of the Cross

Golgotha-Crucifixion Monastery on the island of Anzer was founded by the Monk Job in early XVIII century. According to legend, the saint received a revelation from the Mother of God, who told him: “This mountain is now called the second Golgotha; a great stone church of the crucifixion of My Son and Lord will be built on it and a monastery will be established... I myself will visit the mountain and will remain with you forever.” The monastery is located on the same meridian as the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem and by the Providence of God a similar fate was prepared for it. In 1923, after the closure of the monastery, the so-called hospital of the Solovetsky camp for typhoid patients was placed in its place. Hundreds of clergymen accepted humiliation, abuse and martyrdom here, ascending the path of Christ to their Golgotha, so that they could then be resurrected and join the host of New Martyrs of Russia who shone on the Russian land. On the way we pass a meadow called the Mother of God. According to legend, the Most Holy Theotokos passed here, and in the places where She walked, forget-me-nots grew, and these flowers began to be called the tears of the Virgin Mary. The Worship Cross meets us at the foot of the mountain, and the monastery is already visible in the distant future.

We sing: “We worship Your Cross, Master,” and I am overcome with trepidation! This is incredible - here are three points on one straight line going into the sky: this is me, a sinful man, the Worship Cross and Mount Golgotha. After all, it is said that in the life of every believer there is his own cross and his own Golgotha. And the air is filled with the fragrance of herbs and flowers, chaste northern multicolor, the crowns of trees stretch upward in spite of the harsh climate, which tends to bend them to the ground. Glory to God, who created such beauty! The most difficult part of the path lies ahead - the ascent to Golgotha ​​- the Crucifixion Skete. It becomes completely clear that the pain in the arms and legs is the severity of one’s own sins. The backpack just tips over backwards. "Are you tired? Relax, sit down, why do you even want to go there?” - as if the evil one is whispering. Yes, perhaps you can sit down. But suddenly an unimaginable miracle grows before your eyes - a birch tree in the shape of a cross. She grew up next to the monastery after the war, when the perpetrators of crimes, trying to cover up their bloody trails, cut down almost all the crosses on Solovki. The Lord erected his cross, not made by hands. This is a symbol of memory that cannot be destroyed.

I look at this extraordinary birch tree and remember the main commandment of the Gospel. The horizontal trunk is the love of God, vertical trunk- this is love for people. How simple and clear. “...The Lord thy God is one God, and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, with all thy strength, and with all thy mind... And the second commandment is like it: thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” How the merciful Lord loved us, that He took upon Himself all our sins and carried them to Golgotha! Ashamed of my cowardice, I get up and carry my sins to the top of the mountain, in Golgotha-Crucifixion Skete I repent as best I can, and the weight falls from my shoulders. How light and joyful your soul becomes. The air is filled with grace. Here the sky is so close to the earth! Glory to you, Lord, for the greatness and beauty of nature created by you! The sea merges with the sky, lush green forests are reflected in blue lakes. Standing on the edge of the earth, it seems as if you are flying. I am also a creation of God. This means that the Lord, who created such beauty, loves me and all the people around me. Which good people surround me, what kind eyes they have! What a joy it is to live with God and experience the fullness of life!

We have been prayed for at the dear price of the sufferings on the cross of the New Martyrs of Russia. They say that here the whole earth is an Antimins on which the Liturgy can be served, because it is all watered with blood and strewn with the relics of the New Russian Saints.

Be sure to visit these holy places, they help heal the soul, strengthen faith, help to love your neighbors and thank God for everything.

Stolyarov Vyacheslav Pavlovich- scientific editor of the Publishing Council of the Solovetsky Monastery, head of the Research Sector of the Solovetsky Archipelago and the White Sea Region of the Russian Research Institute of Cultural and Natural Heritage named after. D. S. Likhacheva.

Cross like sacred symbol long ago, Life-giving Cross, on which the Lord’s crucifixion took place, is the original object of worship for Christians. The symbolic, central place of the cross in Orthodox spiritual culture is reflected in Easter prayer(Holy Easter Hours):
Having seen the Resurrection of Christ, let us worship the Holy Lord Jesus, the One Sinless One. // We worship Your Cross, O Christ, // and we sing and glorify Your holy resurrection: // For You are our God, // Don’t we know anything else for You, // your name we call it. // Come, all you faithful, // let us worship the Holy Resurrection of Christ: // behold, joy has come through the Cross to the whole world. // Always blessing the Lord, // we sing of His resurrection: // having endured crucifixion, // destroy death by death.

Analyzing numerous historical images, photographs, and iconography of the Solovetsky Monastery, it is easy to notice that the cross was one of the main elements of the sacred topography, the supporting point of the spiritual and symbolic space of Solovki. Multi-meter eight-pointed wooden crosses were erected along the entire coast of the archipelago and the central part of the islands.

In 1429, the first Solovetsky leaders, the Venerable Savvaty and Herman, after a long sea voyage, “on the third day they reached... the Solovetsky Island... And they went ashore, and pitched their tent, and erected a cross at the place where they landed on the island ". And only after the erection of the cross the hermits began to build permanent cells for themselves. Another Solovetsky ascetic, the Venerable Eleazar, seeking solitude in the fall of 1616, reached the deserted shores of Anzer on a fragile boat, chose a place for himself to live, “and put up a cross for that one, and build up a cell in time.” The erection of the cross on the deserted, uninhabited land was a priority and the most important matter. This was the first concern of the ascetics even before the construction of the dwelling.
At the Cross, in the absence of a temple or chapel, prayers were sent to the Lord. The cross signified that the desert lands belonged to the Orthodox world. The cross was a support and protection in spiritual warfare against evil spirits and enemies of Christianity. “Save, O Lord, Thy people, // and bless Thy inheritance, // granting victories against the resistance, // and preserving Thy residence through Thy Cross,” the monks offered a troparion to the Cross and a prayer for the Fatherland.

The tradition of erecting wooden eight-pointed crosses has not been interrupted for many centuries both on the Solovetsky Islands and throughout Pomerania. TO end of the XVIII - early XIX centuries, a certain stavrography of the Solovetsky Worship Cross has developed. One of the typical Solovetsky crosses, now lost, was recorded by the historian P.K. Kazarinov in 1934. On its front (western) part there are round stamps-monograms with titles cut out:

the top of the support of the cross - /W/ or /0 WH/ - Existing;
small crossbar - /TSR/ /SVY/ - King of Glory;
the gap between the small and large crossbars (on the support of the cross) - /INCI/ - Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews;
large crossbar - /IC/ /ХСЪ/ /SNЪ/ /BZHIY/ - Jesus Christ the Son of God;
the middle part of the cross support - /K/ /T/ - Spear, Cane;
/M/ /L/ - Place Execution;
/R/ /B/ - Paradise Comes (Servant of God);
/G/ /G/ - Mount Golgotha;
foot of the cross - /NI/ /KA/ - Winner;
Bottom part supports - /G/ /A/ - Head of Adam;
image of a skull;
the masonry of boulders that strengthened the cross symbolized Golgotha.
Sometimes the text of a prayer was carved on a large crossbar: /KTPVSVTS/ - “We worship Your Cross, Master, and glorify Your holy Resurrection.”

The height of the Worship Crosses reached 7-9 meters. Often the cross was supplemented with a spear (left) and a cane (right). Usually, for stability and safety, the support of the cross was installed in a log house. The top of the cross was protected by a roof with piers.
The functions of the cross in the symbolic space of the Solovetsky archipelago were surprisingly diverse. The cross, which was a spiritual symbol for Christians, became quite material on Solovki, a guiding sign of salvation. The life of the Solovetsky Monastery, surrounded on all sides by the White Sea, was closely connected with navigation. Multimeter-long conspicuous crosses along the shores of the archipelago were navigational signs that showed sailors the way to the saving harbor. Systems of conspicuous crosses marked the entrance to Blagopoluchiya harbor at the walls of the Solovetsky monastery, were located in Trinity Bay of Anzer Island, and stood along the banks of Dolgaya Bay.
Navigation on the White Sea coast was very dangerous. Strong storms, changeable currents, underwater shoals and corgi rocks were the cause of frequent shipwrecks. Solovki, located in the very center of the Onega Bay, for Pomor seafarers usually served as an intermediate stop on the way to Arkhangelsk or marine fishing areas in the Barents Sea (near Murman, Grumant and Novaya Zemlya), a desirable resting place upon return, and in the event of a shipwreck - and the only hope for salvation.

Before long voyages, merchants and industrialists visited the Solovetsky Monastery and offered prayers for a safe journey. On the board of the large wooden cross of the Tabor Chapel (Fr. Bolshaya Muksalma) there used to be an inscription: “Oh, blessed and honorable cross of the Lord: we worship you, Orthodox, and magnify you, rejoicing in your divine exaltation. But like a victorious and invincible weapon, protect and cover by your grace from every misfortune floating in this depths of the sea. You were chosen to be nailed to the cross for the sins of the whole world, Lord Jesus Christ! I beg you before the majesty of your glory! Give me your hand, too, floating in this sea, as you gave to the Apostle Peter, who was drowning. Accept me, a repentant one, just as you accepted the thief, the harlot, Paul, and may the storm of water not drown me. Even though I have sinned, but did not retreat from the Orthodox Church into schismatic errors, grant me the end of my life as a Christian, peaceful, participating in Your Holy Mysteries , Body and Blood, cleansing our sins. At the hour of death and the day of judgment, have mercy on me, Lord! Through the prayers of our most pure Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary and our Venerable and Pious Fathers Zosima, Savvaty and Herman and other Solovetsky wonderworkers and hidden saints, on this mountain have mercy on those who have moved and my Guardian Angel, have mercy, amen."

Hundreds of votive crosses were installed by sailors on Solovki “in gratitude” at the end of difficult sea voyages. Clusters of votive crosses were located near the sea sites of Anzer (Cape Kaporsky) and the harbor of Bolshoi Zayatsky Island. Crosses were also installed in places where shipwrecked sailors were rescued. Very often, Pomeranian ships washed up on Cape Kolguev on the Anzer Island.
Memorial crosses were erected in honor of significant events. The Worship Cross of 1812 has been preserved at the site where the icon was found miraculous icon Theotokos of Korsun (later named Sosnovskaya). A memorial cross (1702) was installed on a pyramid-remnant off the coast of Anzer in honor of Peter I’s visit to Solovki.
Protective consecration crosses were installed on the ancient pagan temples of the Solovetsky archipelago. The opposition between the temple and the Orthodox cross created a new semantic field. In this case, the ancient temple lost its original sacred meaning and became a monument to Christian history. The cross, towering over the temple, clearly demonstrated the triumph of Christianity over paganism. Wooden consecration crosses have been preserved on Cape Kolguev on Anzer Island, and stone crosses were laid over the ancient temple on Mount Signalnaya on Bolshoi Zayatsky Island.

In 1928-29, during the Solovetsky Special Purpose Camp (SLON), thousands of Solovetsky crosses 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 Poklonny 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 Alexy II was consecrated and a memorial Cross of Worship was erected in honor of the New Martyrs of Solovetsky at the foot of Sekirnaya Mountain (where during the time of SLON there was a punishment cell). In July 1994, in memory of all the new martyrs, a memorial Cross of Worship was erected at Mount Golgotha ​​on the island of Anzer.
The significant event took place on February 3-4, 2001. In Moscow, at the Solovetsky courtyard near the Church of the Great Martyr George in Endov, another Solovetsky Worship Cross was erected and consecrated by His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II. An Orthodox three-part cross with a copy and a cane, about 9 m high, was made in the Solovetsky monastery according to ancient monastic and Pomeranian samples from the Solovetsky tree. The span of the large crossbar of the cross is 4 m. The roof with piers ends with a roof, reminiscent of the shape of a boat - a symbol of salvation. On the eaves of the roof there are through slits: on the left - the sun with twelve rays - the symbol of Jesus Christ, on the right - the month - the symbol of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The texts of protective prayers are carved on the ledges: “Protect us, Lord...”, “Until God rises...”, “Invincible power...”. Traditional marks are carved on the front part of the cross; on the four sides of the vertical part of the pillar there are excerpts from the kontakion of the Cross of the Lord, the creation of St. Gregory Sinaite.

The cross is reinforced into a frame filled with boulders brought from Solovki. On the sign near the cross is the inscription:
“This Honest and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord was erected in the name of the Holy Life-Giving Trinity, for the worship of Orthodox Christians, in memory of the new martyrs and confessors of Solovetsky, in a time of fierce persecution for faith and piety, those who suffered with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Alexy II, Holy Archimandrite of the Transfiguration Solovetsky monastery, under the Viceroy Archimandrite Joseph with the brethren, in the summer of 2001, February 4th day, made in the monastery reverend father Zosima, Savvaty and Herman in the place where the Holy Hieromartyr and Confessor of Russia Philip, Abbot of Solovetsky, Metropolitan of Moscow, Wonderworker of All Rus', suffered and was glorified, the Holy New Martyr and Confessor of Solovetsky Peter (Zverev), Archbishop of Voronezh, and with him a host of bishops , priests and monks, brothers and sisters and many faithful children of the Russian Orthodox Church, through their prayers Lord Jesus Christ our God have mercy and save us. Amen".

The majestic Worship Cross, according to ancient tradition, was erected by hand, by the whole world, without using modern technology. Today it seems to be protecting the territory of a small monastic monastery in the very center of the capital from the invasion of modern civilization, opposing “this world” - the external splendor of respectable bank buildings and five-star hotels. Here, at the Solovetsky courtyard, near the walls of the ancient temple, everyone can appreciate the role of symbolism in the general perception of the historical complex. The emergence of a new reference point in the spiritual-symbolic space changed the semantics of the entire surrounding territory. A piece of the Solovetsky Land, personifying monastic traditions and the tragedy of concentration camp prisoners, appeared on the spiritual map of the capital next to the temple of the heavenly patron of Moscow - the Great Martyr George. This is where people now go who want to remember their relatives who died in hard times. It is interesting that the Solovetsky stone installed at Lubyanka did not become a significant memorial symbol. Despite church candles, kindled here, it attracts mainly a politicized community, and this place serves for holding rallies.

Conclusion

Touching the historical heritage of Solovki, a person internally realizes that this is not only a collection of monuments or cultural landscapes. The context of perception of the heritage of the Solovetsky Land is much broader and does not always lend itself to rational interpretation, as evidenced by the impressions of numerous tourists and scientists (not to mention pilgrims). And this “unnamed” “monastic world”, which has evolved and been polished over centuries, is also our national treasure and needs to be protected.

Threats to the preservation of traditional spiritual and symbolic space can come from different sides. Of course, irreparable damage is caused by the destruction of symbolic support points and historical and cultural monuments. No less dangerous may be the invasion of historical territory by alien symbols, the expansion of non-traditional activities, and the demonstration of behavior uncharacteristic of a given place. Moreover, the consequences of these actions are not always realized. This situation is also typical for Solovki.
An international group of experts who conducted an inspection trip to assess the condition of the Solovetsky historical and cultural complex stated:
“Measures for the protection of heritage on Solovki, with the existing mechanisms for their implementation at the national level, are inadequate to the level of significance of Solovki as a World Heritage Site. Currently, along with the attention paid to the restoration of several selected architectural monuments, it is necessary to record the negative, continuing to intensify process of degradation of the cultural landscape and all its components. The entire holistic cultural landscape with its architectural and engineering structures, lands, symbols, natural and historical attractions, landscape relationships must be protected."
“The modern landscapes of Solovki are examples of the transformation of the land through the efforts of the Orthodox Church and the Russian state at different times and in accordance with pressing needs, and at the same time, many symbolic associations in the landscape are manifested through an interconnected network of noticeable signs and landmarks visible on the horizon.”
“Priority rights must be presented to the monastery as the bearer of the cultural tradition that shaped the cultural landscape and its values. At the same time, actions that reduce the authenticity and integrity of the landscape are unacceptable.”
The program for the protection of the material heritage of Solovki and long-term plans for the development of the Solovetsky Museum-Reserve must be supplemented with measures to preserve the authenticity of the spiritual and symbolic space of the archipelago. This space, along with historical and cultural monuments and cultural landscapes, should be recognized as the cultural heritage of Russia. Any actions leading to the invasion of alien symbols into the archipelago, as well as projects being developed for the development of activities here that are non-traditional for the Solovetsky Monastery, must be limited. Only in this way can the unique spiritual, historical, cultural and natural heritage of the Solovetsky archipelago be fully preserved. The international inspection visit was undertaken on behalf of the joint Norwegian-Russian group on cultural heritage in the period from 3 to 10 August 1998. The group of experts included: G. Stovel, University of Montreal, Canada; P. Agger, Roskilde University, Denmark; K. Schanke, Varanger Sami Museum, Norway; M. Kuleshova, Russian Research Institute of Heritage, Russia; T. Semenova, Russian Research Institute of Heritage, Russia.
Report on the monitoring of the Solovetsky World Heritage Site; historical and cultural complex” // Ecology of culture. News bulletin. No. 4 (17). Arkhangelsk, 2000. P. 65
Right there. P. 44.
Right there. P. 64.

CONVERSATION

September 27 – Exaltation of the Honest and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord

In 1992, on Solovki, I had the opportunity to participate in the installation of the first Poklonny Cross after the Soviet regime. This took place at the foot of Sekirnaya Mountain in the presence and with the blessing of our Holiness the Patriarch. Our group was gathered in a hurry in a matter of minutes right at the gates of the monastery, where I happened to be, and it was led by Georgy Georgievich Kozhokar, the same man who made this 7-meter cross. But then I never knew about it. And I had the opportunity to meet Georgiy Kozhokar, the 55-year-old head of the Solovetsky cross-carving workshop on Seldyanoy Cape, only last summer.

Choice

– Do you remember those days of 1992?

- Certainly. Then an unforgettable return to Solovki took place of the relics of the true owners of this land - the Venerables Zosima, Savvaty and Herman. Before this celebration, Father Joseph, the abbot of the monastery, suggested that I make a cross and then install it under Sekirnaya Mountain, in the place where many people suffered. We took a blessing from Archimandrite John (Krestyankin) to make a cross the size of the one that lay fallen on the island of Anzer. That is, thereby, as it were, a continuation was made from the tradition of the ancient Solovetsky crosses - to modern, new ones. And we made a copy, the only thing we changed was the text on the cross: we wrote that it was dedicated to the new martyrs and confessors of Russia.

This was the first cross we installed and the first one here after the revolution. Although no... The first was a cross installed in the cemetery by the Memorial organization. True, he did not have divine names, but a cross without them is like an icon on which a saint is depicted, but it is not written who exactly. There is a question in this regard. But a cross is a cross.

– What preceded in your life the installation of the cross under Sekirnaya Mountain? How did you get to Solovki?

– I moved to Solovki from Moldova in 1989. We were settled on the territory of the monastery, which at that time was being prepared for a hotel complex, the only one of this scale in the North. It’s interesting that when the apartment later became vacant and we were moved here, to the building of the former biological station, Father German moved into the cell where we lived - he also came from Moldova.

– Did fate bring you here, to Solovki, or was the choice made consciously?

- Consciously. My specialty is architect. By that time, I had been engaged in three-dimensional design for 10 years, participated in various competitions and projects, and my wife and I spent all our holidays in the North, traveling with backpacks - wherever the night would fall - from temple to temple, filming, sketching. The North has conquered us with its nature, people, and wooden architecture– here we were nourished by beauty. In my understanding, the job of an architect is not only to create modern buildings, but also in comprehending the wise simplicity of the ancient builders.

– Is that when the idea of ​​creating a cross-carving workshop arose?

- No, later. Interest in crosses arose in the 1989–90s. Then I decided to measure the crosses that were preserved on the Solovetsky archipelago. With an expedition of four people, we then found about 30 crosses, taking into account both fallen and standing ones. And since 1992, when a permanent abbot, Father Joseph, appeared in the monastery, work began in the workshop.

The Power of the Living Cross

– I’m surprised that, despite the many years of barbarity of Soviet power on Solovki, you were still able to find so many crosses here in the early 90s...

“Their condition was very different: hacked and scratched, burned, rotten, fallen...

– And having discovered these crosses, you decided to restore them?

- Of course, this is the first wish. But the fact is that the cross has its own mystical life. The cross is placed for a reason, but for a specific reason, in this particular place. When they staged it, people put certain meanings into it. We are people of a different time, a different experience. And so we come and see: there is a cross, the text on it may no longer be legible, it is already dilapidated, they shot at it, they burned it - but let it stand. After all, his life is not over. The Lord sent him hardships, and he endured, in principle, the same as Orthodox man, - the same actions were performed on him. And if the cross is taken out and moved, there will be a violation of his personal life. It's my opinion.

– So you reject the museum approach?

– Meeting a person with a cross in a room designed to store thousands of all kinds of information is, I think, completely wrong. People put up a cross, now they are gone, but the cross remains. I came, saw him, prayed, thought, but someone else must come and see him. That's the point. Even if the cross fell, I think let it remain in place, because the power of the cross does not disappear from this. Another thing is if we can understand why this cross was placed here, and we can make a similar one or another - it doesn’t matter - and with understanding, with meaning we remove one cross and install another in its place, then this is possible and correct.

But spiritually today not much is revealed to us, in this sense we are still very weak. Our current level shows what is happening now on Solovki: this holy land did not experience such humiliation even during the camp there, then the veneration of shrines was great. Then, apparently, there was still a bit of reverence among the leaders, which is why not everything was destroyed here. Unlike those who are in charge here today.

It is not difficult to make a cross a museum exhibit, but only with the growth of our spiritual self-awareness, with an understanding of the meaning and power of the cross in our lives, will we find the opportunity to preserve it for more long time, as they did before. Humanity has accumulated vast experience in preserving shrines; it is more ancient than any museum organization existing on earth. As for the crosses, they used to build a chapel around them or an open, drafty canopy, and they were preserved that way.

– When traveling around Russia, you often come across recently made crosses by the roads - clumsy, disproportionate: sometimes the oblique crossbar is too big, sometimes the base is too long... And if you look at ancient crosses, the harmony is almost always perfect. What is it - professionalism has been lost or something has gone wrong in the Christian life today?

– The harmony of the cross lies in the fact that it was made to resemble the body of the Savior – the God-Man. Therefore, the proportions must be perfect. There is such a cross, which was made with the blessing of Patriarch Nikon in the proportions of the cross of the Savior on Calvary, it is kept in the Moscow Church of St. Sergius of Radonezh in Krapivniki. But it is difficult to make a correct harmonious cross for a person who does not have a sense of proportion within himself. Taste is nurtured by the environment. What we see now is a representation of the cross modern man. In ancient times, when man lived harmoniously in nature and in society, with a hierarchy of values, with the understanding that everything is God’s creation, and the environment was special. Imagine, in the 16th century you find yourself at a fair, where everything, from spoons and combs to harnesses, cultivates taste and moderation in a person... At the same time, we must not forget that any cross, even not a very harmonious one, is a shrine. You just can't do it completely unusual shape.

– How do you feel about the crosses that our Old Believers did not recognize, calling them “Latin roofs”?

– There are two forms of the cross - one repeats the proportions of the cross on which Christ was crucified, and the other form - it can be very different - only reminds of this cross. The Orthodox tradition honors all the crosses that exist on earth, and they all have meaning for us. But you can’t even recognize “correct” crosses just because of the inscriptions on them. Whether the inscription will be “INCI”, Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews, or “King of Glory” is not a question of the theology of the cross, because, according to Scripture, both are correct. This is only a matter of human passions. Christ crucified Himself, put to death his passions on the cross, and we will lift up our passions on the cross?

Traditions

– What crosses are traditional for Solovki?

– Pomerania is a special environment, here there is a special communication between man and nature, everything is harsher here and, probably, that’s why the tradition of thanking God and turning to Him before any trials is a cross here. It was mainly laymen who erected votive crosses. There were also worship crosses, which were placed both by monks at the sites of their deeds and by laymen at crossroads and on hills. Crosses were placed in memorable places - in memory of an event. Other local peculiarity- installation of navigation crosses, used as landmarks; they were visible from afar, and the upper horn of the lower oblique crossbar of such a cross pointed to the north.

– What is special about the Solovetsky crosses?

– The Solovetsky Cross has absorbed all the Pomeranian traditions, but theologically they are more strict. I divide them into two traditions: folk and purely monastic. Crosses were often erected by votives: for example, a fisherman would get caught in a storm and make a vow before God that he would erect a cross for deliverance from death. They usually carved the text on them that this cross was erected, for example, by the son of John Peter in such and such a year. But there were more crosses that the monks erected. Carvers applied divine names to them, that is, texts about Christ being crucified on Mount Golgotha, that this is the place of execution, etc. The monastic tradition is theologically more capacious.

– You are talking about inscriptions, but what about images?

– Our Transfiguration Monastery has hesychast roots, based on deep prayer, and the hesychast tradition did not reject three-dimensional images, but did not apply them. Because the image of the Savior in volume distracts from prayer, and besides, the volume often involuntarily conveys the features of familiar people and loved ones. Therefore, in the traditions of the Solovetsky Monastery, the so-called ascetic crosses only contain the names of God. Among the pictorial moments there are only the crown of thorns, the head of Adam, and also – schematically – the sun and the moon. And if you see a cross with the image of the crucified Savior, it means it was made somewhere else. Cross-carving workshops existed both in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra and in the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery...

Stavrography Center

– What is your workshop like, how many people are there?

– Now, in July, I am working alone, but three assistants will arrive soon and will help me in the summer months. And work is ongoing all the time. It first consists of design (this takes most of the time), production of documentation and application of an image to the cross. We don’t prepare the logs ourselves – we use what is donated to us. This is mainly pine and cedar. The tree will lie down and develop cracks, after which we bring it into the room, here it will still lie down, and we begin to work with it. But the cross-carving workshop is also a kind of staurographic center; a huge amount of material on crosses is concentrated here; probably, there is no such material anywhere in Russia, and if not in Russia, then there is no such material anywhere in the world. The material accumulated over 18 years is now being systematized.

– I think it will be a surprise for many readers to learn that mathematics and calculation mean a lot in cross-carving.

- God forbid we make a mistake. Now I have designed a 20-meter cross, it is dedicated to the 400th anniversary of the Romanov family, the dynasty that carried the cross of Russia for several centuries and whose last king ascended the martyrdom of Golgotha. This is huge architectural structure with an approach, a staircase, a chapel, etc. I propose to make the pillar of the cross composite - from three solid logs, and the log itself must be oriented in a certain way so that the trunk of the cross is also load-bearing structure like the mast of a ship.

– As far as I understand, your activities have not been limited to Solovki for a long time. Last summer, a cross made in your workshop was delivered to Butovo, the site of mass executions near Moscow.

– Yes, now a 10-meter cross, similar to Butovo’s, is being made for installation on Valaam. On September 24, for the transfer of the relics of Sergius and Herman, it, God willing, will be installed at the entrance to the monastery bay next to the St. Nicholas monastery. By the way, one of our crosses has already been installed on Valaam. There are three of our crosses in Norway: one was restored from photographs of the 20s of the last century at the entrance to the cemetery of Russian Pomors, the second is a grave cross, and the third is a worship cross with inscriptions, a gift from our brethren to the city of Vadsø. In Izmail, our cross was installed at the place where the turning point in the war occurred due to the fact that a military priest in Suvorov’s army, taking the cross, raised the soldiers to attack and died. There are crosses in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Tsarskoye Selo...

– Why are some crosses larger, others smaller, than you are guided by here?

– We decide here together with the customer, and we try to ensure that the size of the cross is commensurate with the veneration of what it is dedicated to. This is in no way a question of the self-expression of the builder or the amount of money the trustee has, or anything else.

Solovetsky Sea work

– Has it ever happened that vandals attacked the cross you erected?

“I thought before that this was impossible.” But then it happened: they cut down the cross in Isakovo with an ax. What can I say? This is scary for the relatives and friends of this person, but most of all it is dangerous for the soul of the vandal himself.

This, however, does not mean that I consider our crosses to be established for centuries. There is no need to try to do anything eternal. They scold me for not covering crosses protective compounds: How can it be, so much work! Why do this? The cross is not an object that needs to be protected. It must be a natural tree, not covered with any poisons, so that you can kiss it. But the main thing is that the cross should stand temporarily, so that another generation can see how it is being destroyed, take care of it and put up their own crosses. This is how life continues and is renewed. What would be easier, it would seem, is to put up a stainless steel cross and forget about it. But the wooden cross rots, which means it needs care. This means that there must be a person nearby, and the memory of the godmother must be alive in him.

– Do you think the workshop has a great future?

– By how many crosses are installed on Solovki, you can measure how much Russia has been able to rise over all these years. And the fact that now there are not three dozen of them shows how much work we still have to do. After installing the first cross, which we talked about at the beginning, I asked Father John (Krestyankin) how long I should spend making crosses. He asked again: “Well, well, how many crosses did you say there were on Solovki?” "Three thousand". - “When you put in all three thousand, you can rest.” So there is still a lot of work ahead.

Interviewed by Igor IVANOV
Photo by the author

Just a hundred years ago, the coast and islands of the White Sea were dotted with large and small crosses - votive, worship, memorial. The life of Pomors has always been filled with difficulties and dangers, and each cross signified a unique story of its appearance. On the Solovetsky Islands alone there were more than three thousand such wooden crosses. They got here with great difficulty and risk to their lives, with prayer and promises to God. And the vows were embodied in crosses.

In the 20s of the last century, symbols of Christianity were destroyed mercilessly. Special events were held to burn crosses erected by our ancestors. And on Solovki in the early 20s, according to eyewitnesses, a fire consuming crosses collected from all over the archipelago burned for four days in a row. This happened on the cape of Blagopoluchiya Bay, just opposite the monastery.

Several decades passed, and it was in this place that a workshop began to exist and develop, in which crosses were studied and created. This year it turns ten years old, almost as old as the reviving Solovetsky Monastery.

The founder and chief master of the cross-carving workshop of the Solovetsky Monastery is Georgy Kozhokar. He is an architect by profession, so it is not surprising that he was not primarily interested in practical side- making crosses, but scientific. And as an Orthodox believer, George studies the Cross of the Lord from a theological point of view. All this makes the cross-carving workshop of the Solovetsky Monastery a unique Center for the Study of the Cross. Perhaps there is no second one like it in the entire Orthodox world.

All crosses coming out from under the tools of the masters are different. Huge worship (up to 9 meters) and small - body crosses, altar crosses and icon crosses, decorated with openwork carvings and symbolic inscriptions in many languages, including ancient ones. There are already fifteen large crosses made in the Solovetsky cross-carving workshop - they stand not only on Solovki, but also in Moscow, in the near and far abroad. And more than seven hundred small-format crosses have already been distributed throughout the Orthodox world. His Holiness the Patriarch, President Putin, Vladyka Tikhon, and many significant spiritual and political figures have the Solovetsky cross.

Georgy Georgievich talks about his “brainchild” very interestingly and enthusiastically:

Previously, all Orthodox monasteries had their own cross-carving workshops, and the craftsmen were called “cross-carvers” or “rezas”. Benefactors and donors were blessed with crosses; they were also made for sale. Of course, with the closure of the monasteries, this tradition was interrupted.
When I came to Solovki in the late 80s and started working at the Solovetsky Museum, I noticed that the theme of crosses, oddly enough, had not been developed here at all. I proposed to find all the remaining worship and votive crosses on the islands of the archipelago, mark them, and explore them. An expedition was organized, we walked from cross to cross, took photographs, took tracing paper from them in life size- for this purpose they came up with a special structure that was installed next to the cross being studied. However, the crosses were in different states and positions. In vertical, inclined and horizontal, as well as generally scattered. Imagine: a colorful berry patch, and in it there is a mossy piece of ancient wood with the inscription “King of Glory”. We carefully took out the fragments of the cross and fixed them. As a result of the expedition, detailed descriptions of thirty crosses of the Solovetsky archipelago and graphic sheets depicting these crosses appeared.

The stories behind the installation of some crosses are impressive. So, on Anzer, at the holy spring, there is a cross erected on October 24 (old style) 1917 - the day the revolution took place. It is significant that it is painted red. Oddly enough, the cross has survived to this day, although during the SLON (Solovetsky Special Purpose Camp) there was an isolation ward on Anzer. On Anzer, a colossal 11-meter cross, installed exactly 100 years ago, in 1903, has been preserved. We also found a small worship cross there, erected by prisoners in 1933, on May 3. This is a feat - at such a time and in such a place to put up a cross!

Studying this Christian sign, we came to the conclusion that the Solovetsky cross is special. On it we do not see images of the crucified Jesus Christ, but only texts - the names of God. Such crosses are called ascetic, Golgotha, ecumenical, god-named, tripartite, etc. It is so easy for an unprepared person to read what is written on the cross: there are so many signs and abbreviations. One can even talk about secret writing, which for initiates carries deep theological and philosophical meaning. The cross is the key to understanding the Old and New Testaments.

Ten years ago, with the blessing of Elder John (Krestyankin), I began creating this workshop. Archimandrite Joseph, abbot of the Solovetsky Monastery, greatly supported this initiative. Here we study and comprehend the image of the cross in its various types- first of all, the Orthodox cross, but also the ecumenical cross. And we make crosses in the image and likeness of those crosses that were created in ancient times.

People from all over the country come to our workshop to work, different professions and specialties: not only carvers and restorers, but also journalists, clergy, physicists, mathematicians, musicians, ceramists. They live with us and help. Of course, everyone to the best of their abilities and capabilities. Some people sweep up the sawdust first, and some do really hard work. They learn about us on the Internet, or simply from those who have already been here. And every year thousands of people come to get acquainted with our work. I believe that our workshop was created by the entire Orthodox world, because we have many benefactors and donors, those who contributed to the work of the cross-carving.

The first cross was installed at the foot of Sekirnaya Mountain, on the days of the transfer of the relics of the Solovetsky monks in 1992 in the presence of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy. This cross is a copy of the cross from Mount Verbokolskaya on the island of Anzer. It was from this cross that our serious job on the study and understanding of crosses.

In the workshop, the cross is studied not only in its theological, but also in its historical, archaeological and staurographic meaning, all types of cross images are covered (wood, metal, ceramics.) The ancient traditions of cross images in gold embroidery are explored. This handicraft is reproduced based on modern materials(threads and fabrics). This work is very delicate and painstaking. One icon-cross takes many months to create; the intricate letter of the inscription, as our craftswoman admits, can take a whole day to embroider. This kind of work requires a special attitude, and it is blessed work.

John (Krestyankin), the elder of the Pskov-Pechersk Monastery, pays attention to the activities of the workshop, is always interested in how we are doing, and provides spiritual support. Once I asked the priest how long I would have to carve crosses on Solovki. The elder said: “Well, well, how many crosses did you say there were there?” I answer: “Three thousand.” “Well,” he says, “when you’ve put in all three thousand, you can rest.”

So we still have a lot of work to do.

Valentina Muzykina