The Orthodox Church

Welcome, observant seeker, to the transcendent environment of the Holy Virgin Mary Russian Orthodox Cathedral. As you stand at the threshold of this sacred space, you must conceptually prepare to leave the modern, secular world…

We begin by crossing from the Narthex into the Nave, the central body of the temple where the faithful gather for the Divine Liturgy. As you enter, the sheer visual density of the space is immediately overwhelming. …

Before we approach the front of the church, let us examine the beautifully carved wooden cases situated throughout the Nave. These are the reliquaries, holding the physical, earthly remains of canonized saints. …

You now stand before the absolute architectural focal point of the temple: the Iconostasis. This is the massive, tiered wall of icons that separates the Nave from the Altar. …

At the exact center of the Iconostasis are the grand, highly ornate double doors known as the Royal Gates, or the Heavenly Gates. These gates are the theological threshold between the earthly congregation in the Nave and the…

If the Royal Gates were open, you would look directly into the Sanctuary, the Holy of Holies. The absolute center of this space is the Holy Table, a perfectly square, freestanding altar upon which the bloodless sacrifice of the…

Look to the curved wall, or apse, at the very back of the Altar space, directly behind the Holy Table. Here you will find the 'High Place,' a throne designated specifically for the presiding Bishop. …

As our scholarly exploration of the Holy Virgin Mary Russian Orthodox Cathedral concludes, take a final moment to stand in the center of the Nave and absorb the immense spiritual gravity of this environment. We have decoded an…