The meaning of Icons in Russian Orthodoxy

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8 May 2010

The Meaning of Icons in Russian Orthodoxy

Introduction

In the history of Russian Orthodoxy , icons occupy a special place Throughout centuries , the Church applied to icons , trying to re-establish the meaning and significance of its religious symbols Since the very beginnings of Russian Orthodoxy , icons served the means and the objects of prayer . Icons conveyed religious sanctity and the Divine Word . With time , icons in Russian Orthodoxy became the expression of the utmost religious symbolism and maintained a

reliable link between the events of the sacred history and the realities of everyday life Icons in Russian Orthodoxy exemplified a profoundly symbolical pictorial tradition , transmitted the spirituality of religion and to linked religion to the realities of everyday life

That icons were predominantly used for prayer is difficult to deny since the earliest years of Russian Orthodoxy , icons were both the means and the way of delivering the Divine Word (Ouspensky Lossky 25 However , the earliest years of Orthodoxy in Russia reflected the continuous conflict between the new religious traditions and paganism Russian icons followed the pictorial legacy of paganism and simultaneously , had to teach people the realities of the new Orthodox religion . During the first years of Russian Orthodoxy , many Russian Christians continued to live in the atmosphere of vanishing paganism Given the significance and continuity of the pagan traditions , it was virtually impossible to destroy the pagan idolatry at once . Christians tried to protect their religion from the risks...