Five-panel Deesis row (center), Iconostasis in the Cathedral of the Annunciation in Moscow Kremlin by Theophanes the Greek, 1405

In Eastern Christianity an iconostasis (the plural is iconostases), also called the templon, is a wall of icons and religious paintings, separating the nave from the sanctuary in a church. In Byzantine art, and later Eastern Orthodox art generally the Deësis or Deisis (δέησις "prayer" or "supplication" is a The Cathedral of the Annunciation ( Благовещенский собор in Russian, or Blagoveschensky sobor is a Cathedral in the Moscow The Moscow Kremlin ( Russian: Московский Кремль Moskovskiy Kreml) usually referred to as simply The Kremlin, is a historic fortified Theophanes the Greek (sometimes "Feofan Grek" from the Феофан Грек Greek: Θεοφάνης c Families of churches Eastern Christians have a shared tradition but they became divided ( Schism) during the early centuries of Christianity in disputes about A templon (from Greek τέμπλον meaning "temple" plural templa) is a feature of Byzantine architecture that first appeared in Christian An icon (from Greek εἰκών eikōn, "image" is a religious work of art most commonly a painting from Eastern Christianity. In Romanesque and Gothic Christian Abbey, Cathedral Basilica and church Architecture, the nave is the Sanctuary has multiple meanings A sanctuary is the consecrated area of a church or temple around its tabernacle or altar Iconostasis also refers to a portable icon stand that can be placed anywhere within a church. The iconostasis evolved from the Byzantine templon, a process complete by the fifteenth century. Byzantine architecture is the Architecture of the Byzantine Empire. A templon (from Greek τέμπλον meaning "temple" plural templa) is a feature of Byzantine architecture that first appeared in Christian

The word comes from the Greek εἰκονοστάσι(-ον) (still in common use in Greece and Cyprus), which means "icon stand". Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly

Location

A six-row iconostasis at Uglich Cathedral. Uglich (У́глич ˈuglʲiʨ is a historic town in Yaroslavl Oblast, Russia, on the Volga River. North Deacon's Door (left) and Holy Doors (right).

The nave is the main body of the church where most of the worshippers stand, and the sanctuary is the area around the altar, east of the nave. In Romanesque and Gothic Christian Abbey, Cathedral Basilica and church Architecture, the nave is the Sanctuary has multiple meanings A sanctuary is the consecrated area of a church or temple around its tabernacle or altar An altar is any structure upon which Sacrifices or other offerings are made for religious purposes or some other sacred place where ceremonies take place The sanctuary is usually one to three steps higher than the nave. The Iconostasis does not sit directly on the edge of the sanctuary, but is usually set a few feet back from the edge of the top step. This forms a walkway in front of the iconostasis for the clergy, called a soleas. In the very center of the soleas is an extension (or thrust), often rounded, called the ambon, on which the deacon will stand to give litanies during the services. The Ambon ( Slavonic: amvón) is a projection coming out from the Soleas (the walkway in front of the Iconostasis) in an Eastern Orthodox Ektenia (from ἐκτένεια ekténeia; literally "diligence" often called simply Litany, is a prayerful petition in the Eastern Orthodox

The iconostasis, though often tall, rarely touches the ceiling. Acoustically, this permits the ekphoneses (liturgical exclamations) of the clergy to be heard clearly by the faithful. Acoustics is the interdisciplinary science that deals with the study of Sound, Ultrasound and Infrasound (all mechanical waves in gases liquids and solids An ecphonesis (εκφώνησις is an emotional exclamatory phrase ( Exclamation) used in poetry drama or song In small, modern churches the iconostasis may be completely absent: in such cases it is replaced by a few small icons on analogia (lecterns), forming a virtual divide. An Analogion (Άναλόγιον is a Lectern or slanted stand on which Icons, the Gospel Book or are placed for veneration by the faithful in the

The south Deacon's Door in the iconostas at Ipatiev Monastery, Kostroma, Russia. The Hypatian Monastery (Ипатьевский монастырь in Russian) is a male Monastery, situated on the bank of the Kostroma River just opposite Kostroma (Кострома́ is an historic city in central Russia, the administrative centre of Kostroma Oblast.

The iconostasis typically has three openings or sets of doors: the Beautiful Gates or Holy Doors in the center, and the North and South Doors to either side. The Beautiful Gates are sometimes called the Royal Doors, but that name more properly belongs to the central doors connecting the narthex, or porch, to the nave. The narthex of a church is the entrance or lobby area located at the end of the Nave, at the far end from the church's main Altar. In Romanesque and Gothic Christian Abbey, Cathedral Basilica and church Architecture, the nave is the ^[1] They remain shut whenever a service is not being held. Modern custom as to when they should be opened during services varies depending upon jurisdiction and local custom. In some places they are nearly always open and are closed only at specific times; in others they are nearly always shut and are opened only at specific times.

The North and South Doors are often called Deacons' Doors because the deacons use them frequently. Deacon is a role in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind but which varies among theological and denominational traditions Icons of sainted deacons are often depicted on these doors (particularly St. Stephen the Protomartyr and St. Ephrem the Syrian). Protomartyr ( Koine Greek, πρότος prótos "first" + μάρτυρας mártyras " Martyr " is a Ephrem the Syrian ( Syriac: ܐܦܪܝܡ ܣܘܪܝܝܐ Mor Afrêm Sûryāyâ; Greek:; Latin Alternatively, they may be called Angels' Doors, and the Archangels Michael and Gabriel are often depicted there. Archangels are superior or higher-ranking Angels Archangels are found in a number of religious traditions including Islam, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism Gabriel ( Latin: Gabrielus; Greek:, Gabriēl; Arabic: جبريل Jibrīl or جبرائيل The South Door is typically the "entrance" door, and Michael is depicted there because he is the "Defender"; the North Door is the "exit", and Gabriel is depicted here because he is the "Messenger" of God. These doors may also be casually referred to as the "side doors".

Placement of Icons

Mid-17th-century iconostasis at Ipatiev Monastery. The Hypatian Monastery (Ипатьевский монастырь in Russian) is a male Monastery, situated on the bank of the Kostroma River just opposite To either side of the Holy Doors are Christ Pantokrator and the Theotokos; above them, the Great Feasts; above them, the Deesis; above that Prophets to either side of Our Lady of the Sign; above them the Apostles to either side of the Holy Trinity. Meaning The most common translation of Pantocrator is "Almighty" or "All-powerful Theotokos (Θεοτόκος translit Theotókos) is a title of Mary the mother of Jesus used especially in the Eastern Orthodox, The feast of the Resurrection of Jesus, called Pascha (Easter is the greatest of the feasts of the Eastern Orthodox Church. In Byzantine art, and later Eastern Orthodox art generally the Deësis or Deisis (δέησις "prayer" or "supplication" is a In Religion, a prophet (or prophetess) is a person who has encountered the Supernatural or the divine and serves as an intermediary The Icon of Our Lady of the Sign ( Panagia or Παναγία Ikona Bozhey Materi "Znamenie" Ikona Bogurodzicy "Znak" The Twelve Apostles (Greek apostolos, "someone sent out" e SSC RF "Troitsk Institute of Innovative and Termonuclear Research" or TRINITY for shprt Троицкий Институт инновационных и термоядерных

A number of guidelines or rubrics govern which icons are on which parts of the iconostasis, although there is some room for variation. A rubric is a word or section of text which is written or printed in Red Ink to highlight it In its fullest Slavic development it comprised five tiers of icons:

1. The bottom tier is sometimes called Sovereign. On the right side of the Beautiful Gates (from the nave facing forward) is an icon of Christ (often Pantokrator), which symbolizes his Second Coming and on the left side is an icon of the Theotokos (Virgin Mary), symbolizing Christ's incarnation, and entrance into this world. In Christianity, the Second Coming is the anticipated return of Jesus Christ from Heaven to earth an event that will fulfill aspects of Messianic Theotokos (Θεοτόκος translit Theotókos) is a title of Mary the mother of Jesus used especially in the Eastern Orthodox, Therefore, all things take place between Christ's first and second coming. Other icons on this tier beside those on the doors themselves usually include depictions of the patron saint or feast day to which the church is dedicated, St. John the Baptist, St. Nicholas, one or more of the Four Evangelists etc. The patron saint of a particular group of people is a Saint who would protect and 'love' the group and its members The Calendar of saints is a traditional Christian method of organizing a Liturgical year on the level of days by associating each day with one or more Saints Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service usually religious Saint John the Baptist ( heb. Jochanan ben Sacharja, arab. يحيى Yaḥyā or يوحنا Yūḥanna, aram. Saint Nicholas (Άγιος Νικόλαος, Agios Nikolaos, "victory of the people" is the common name for Nicholas of Myra, a Christian Saint The Four Evangelists refers to the authors of the four Gospel accounts in the New Testament that bear the following ancient titles Gospel according Above this are two interchangeable tiers: the Deisis and the Twelve Great Feasts:
2. In the center of the Deisis is a large icon of Christ Enthroned. In Byzantine art, and later Eastern Orthodox art generally the Deësis or Deisis (δέησις "prayer" or "supplication" is a The feast of the Resurrection of Jesus, called Pascha (Easter is the greatest of the feasts of the Eastern Orthodox Church. In Byzantine art, and later Eastern Orthodox art generally the Deësis or Deisis (δέησις "prayer" or "supplication" is a To the left and right are icons of John the Baptist and the Theotokos in attitudes of supplication. They are often flanked by icons of the Archangels Michael and Gabriel, then Sts. Michael (מִיכָאֵל Micha'el or Mîkhā'ēl; Μιχαήλ Mikhaíl; Michael or Míchaël; ميخائيل Mikhā'īl) is an Gabriel ( Latin: Gabrielus; Greek:, Gabriēl; Arabic: جبريل Jibrīl or جبرائيل Peter and Paul, and then any other important Church Fathers that may be desired for inclusion as space allows. Paul the apostle (שאול התרסי Šaʾul HaTarsi, meaning " Saul of Tarsus " Σαούλ Saul and Σαῦλος Saulos and
3. The Feasts tier contains icons of the twelve Great Feasts of the liturgical year. The feast of the Resurrection of Jesus, called Pascha (Easter is the greatest of the feasts of the Eastern Orthodox Church. The liturgical year, also known as the Christian year, consists of the cycle of liturgical seasons in Christian churches which determines when Above this, the top two tiers are also interchangeable with each other:
4. The Old Testament Prophets and Patriarchs—the latter including the twelve sons of Jacob—often to either side of an icon of Our Lady of the Sign; and
5. the Twelve Apostles, often to either side of and icon depicting either Christ at the Second Coming or the Holy Trinity. In Western Christianity, the Old Testament refers to the books that form the first of the two-part Christian Biblical canon. In Religion, a prophet (or prophetess) is a person who has encountered the Supernatural or the divine and serves as an intermediary The Patriarchs (also known as the Avot in Hebrew) according to the Judeo-Christian Old Testament are Abraham, his Son Jacob ( Hebrew: יַעֲקֹב, Standard   Yaʿaqov Tiberian   Yaʿăqōḇ; The Icon of Our Lady of the Sign ( Panagia or Παναγία Ikona Bozhey Materi "Znamenie" Ikona Bogurodzicy "Znak" The Twelve Apostles (Greek apostolos, "someone sent out" e SSC RF "Troitsk Institute of Innovative and Termonuclear Research" or TRINITY for shprt Троицкий Институт инновационных и термоядерных

Occasionally one may find yet more tiers of smaller icons depicting saints of specially fervent local devotion.

It is also not uncommon to find an icon of the Mystical Supper, which depicts the Last Supper, and by extension the Communion of Saints in the Kingdom of God, somewhere above the Beautiful Gates. In the Christian Gospels the Last Supper (also called the Lord's Supper or Mystical Supper) was the last meal Jesus shared with his The Communion of Saints (in Latin, communio sanctorum) is the spiritual union of all Christians living and the dead those on earth in Heaven

The Sovereign tier is always present, but all the others may be omitted. Preference is given to the Deisis or the Feasts tiers if only some of them can be included. Only the largest and most elaborate iconostases include all five.

Rubrics

Chapel of the holy icon of Theotokos of Smolensk in the Assumption Cathedral in Smolensk. The Hodegetria ( Οδηγήτρια, literally "She who shows the way" Russian Одигитрия is the Iconography depicting the Theotokos The Cathedral of the Assumption, dominating the city of Smolensk from the lofty Cathedral Hill has been the principal church of the Smolensk bishopric for 800

There are rules regarding who may enter or leave the sanctuary, and by which door. Neither the Beautiful Gates nor the space between them and the altar may be used by laity under any circumstances, although male infants are brought into the altar through them in the "churching" rite. In Christian tradition the Churching of Women is the ceremony wherein a blessing is given to mothers after recovery from Childbirth. Bishops may enter through the Beautiful Gates at any time; priests and deacons may do so only at specific times during the services when the Gates are open (but during Bright Week they always enter and exit through them). A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight A priest or priestess is a person having the authority or power to administer religious rites in particular rites of sacrifice to and propitiation of a deity or deities Bright Week Lambri --> or Renewal Week is the name used by the Eastern Orthodox Church and Eastern Catholic Churches of the Byzantine All others enter the sanctuary through the side doors.

In a convent only the abbess and elder nuns are permitted to enter the sanctuary, and only by the side doors. A convent is a community of Priests religious brothers religious sisters or Nuns or the building used by the community particularly in the Roman Catholic Church An abbess ( Latin abbatissa fem form of abbas Abbot) is the female superior, or Mother Superior, of an Abbey A Nun is a Woman who has taken special vows committing her to a religious life The abbess may enter at any time, but the other nuns need a blessing to enter.

Male members of the laity who are usually allowed to enter the sanctuary include those involved in the running of the particular church, i. e. cantors and choristers, altar servers, church keepers and vestrymen, etc. For the musical composition see Chorale. A choir, chorale, or chorus is a Musical ensemble of Singers An altar server or Acolyte is a lay assistant to a member of the Clergy during a religious service See also Sacristan A sexton is a church officer charged with the maintenance of the church buildings and/or the surrounding Graveyard. Entering the sanctuary for no good reason or without a blessing is forbidden even if no religious service is being held at the time.

In the Romanian tradition, on the day of the consecration of the altar in the church, the laity, including women, are permitted to enter and venerate the altar up until the beginning of the Vespers of Consecration. The Romanian Orthodox Church ( Biserica Ortodoxă Română in Romanian) is a Autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service usually religious

These guidelines were developed over the course of many centuries, with both theologically symbolic and practical reasons for them.

Theological implications

The Iconostasis does not really "separate" the nave from the Holy of Holies; rather, it brings them together. The Iconostasis is the link between heaven (the Holy of Holies) and the nave (The Holy Place). Therefore everything is symbolic upon the Iconostasis. The Icons of Christ the Theotokos and various saints and feasts are there because Christ, the Theotokos, the saints etc. , lead us and guide us into the Holy of Holies. Therefore the personages on the Icons upon the Iconostasis guide us into heaven, and therefore the Iconostasis connects not separates. The Icons upon the Iconostasis also are windows and bridges into heaven (although all icons, no matter where, are windows and bridges into heaven). Therefore, in a sense the Iconostasis represents Christ, who is the connection, the door, between both realms. The perfect explanation for the Iconostasis, and its uniting purpose, is seen in Hebrews 10:19-20, "Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way which he opened for us through the curtain, that is through his flesh. "

Evolution

Archaeological evidence from the St. John of Stoudios monastery in Constantinople suggests that the Iconostasis evolved from the early templon. A templon (from Greek τέμπλον meaning "temple" plural templa) is a feature of Byzantine architecture that first appeared in Christian A basilica dedicated to John the Baptist was built in 463 AD. The Latin word basilica (derived from Greek, Basiliké Stoà, Royal Stoa) was originally used to describe a Roman Saint John the Baptist ( heb. Jochanan ben Sacharja, arab. يحيى Yaḥyā or يوحنا Yūḥanna, aram. In it the chancel barrier surrounded the altar in a π shape, with one large door facing the nave and two smaller doors on the other sides. "Chancel" is an architectural term for the space around the Altar at the Liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building Twelve piers held chancel slabs of about 1. 6 meters in length. The height of the slabs is not known. The chancel barrier was not merely a low parapet (a short wall); remains of colonnettes have been found, suggesting that the barrier carried an architrave on top of the columns. A parapet is a wall-like barrier at the edge of a Roof or structure. The architrave (also called epistyle or door frame) is a moulded or ornamental band framing a rectangular opening ^[2]

Federov's Deesis in the retroquire screen at Winchester Cathedral, England

The templon gradually replaced all other forms of chancel barriers in Byzantine churches in the 6th, 7th, and 8th centuries except in Cappadocia. In Byzantine art, and later Eastern Orthodox art generally the Deësis or Deisis (δέησις "prayer" or "supplication" is a Winchester Cathedral at Winchester in Hampshire is one of the largest Cathedrals in England, with the longest nave and overall length of Cappadocia (or Capadocia, Turkish Kapadokya, from Greek: Καππαδοκία / Kappadokía which in turn is from the Persian: Sacred tradition ascribes the invention of the solid iconostasis to Saint Basil the Great. Sacred Tradition or Holy Tradition is a technical theological term used in some Christian traditions primarily in the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Basil of Caesarea, also called Saint Basil the Great (c 330 – January 1, 379) (Άγιος Βασίλειος ο Μέγας Latin

As late as the 10th century, a simple wooden chancel barrier separated the apse from the nave in the rock-cut churches in Derinkuyu, though by the late 11th century, the templon had become standard. Derinkuyu Underground City is located in the homonymous Derinkuyu district in Nevşehir Province, Turkey. Derinkuyu is a town and district of Nevşehir Province in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey. This may have been because of the veneration and imitation of the Great Church Hagia Sophia in Constantinople, though the columnar form of chancel barrier does predate Hagia Sophia. ^[3]

In recent years, especially in the diaspora, there has been a liturgical movement favouring a more open style of Iconostasis. These Iconostases may be only one or two tiers, with a wide opening for the royal doors.

The rood screen found in some Roman Catholic and Anglican churches and cathedrals in many parts of Europe (particularly in England) in late medieval times, occupied a similar position but had a different function. The rood screen (also choir screen or chancel screen) is a common feature in late Medieval parish Church architecture. Anglicanism is a tradition of Christian faith Churches in this tradition either have historical connections to the Church of England or have similar beliefs England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland

Oriental Christianity

The Oriental Orthodox and Eastern Catholic churches which follow Oriental rites differ among themselves about the use of the iconostasis. Oriental Orthodoxy is the communion of Eastern Christian Churches that recognize only three Ecumenical councils — the First Council of Nicaea, the This article refers to Eastern Churches in full communion with the Holy See The Armenian and Syriac churches often use a curtain, but not a solid iconostasis. The Armenian Apostolic Church (Հայաստանեայց Առաքելական Եկեղեցի Hayasdaneaytz Arakelagan Syriac Christianity is a culturally and linguistically distinctive community within Eastern Christianity. The Coptic and Ethiopian churches use an iconostas which is sometimes made of lattice work so that it is semi-transparent. History of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria Apostolic foundation Egypt is identified in the Bible as the place of refuge that the The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (in transliterated Amharic: Yäityop'ya ortodoks täwahedo bétäkrestyan) is an Oriental

Gallery

Hosios Loukas (Middle Byzantine), Distomo, in Boeotia, Greece	Parga, Greece	St. Sabbas Nicosia, Cyprus	Saint Sophia, Thessalonika
Marble iconostasis at Metropolitan Cathedral, Thessalonika	Chapel of the Archangels, Thessalonika	Iconostasis of Holy Trinity Cathedral, Sergiev Posad	Church of the Prophet Elias, Yaroslavl
Dormition Cathedral, Astrakhan	Rock church, northern Bulgaria	Cathedral of the Archangel Michael, Moscow Kremlin	Portion of Iconostas displayed in the Kremlin Museums
Uglich Cathedral (detail: sovereign icon of the Theotokos)	Kremlin Museums	Holy Doors depicting the Annunciation, Apostles and Saints	Troyan Monastery, Bulgaria
Old Orthodox Church, Sarajevo	Sarajevo, Holy Doors	Sarajevo, detail	Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Russian Orthodox Church in Seldovia, Alaska	Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Tallinn, Estonia	Gilded iconostas at Izhevsk	Iconostasis in Borodino (photo 1911 by Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorskii)
Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Cathedral in Chicago, Illinois, USA	The Nativity of the Theotokos Cathedral, Koselets	Serbian Orthodox Church, Trebinje, Republic of Srpska. Hosios Loukas (Greek) is an historic walled monastery situated near the town of Distomo, in Boeotia, Greece. Byzantine architecture is the Architecture of the Byzantine Empire. Distomo also may refer to a work by Frederico Garcia Lorca, see Distomo (literature Nearest places Steirio Boeotia, Beotia, or Bœotia ( Greek: Βοιωτία - English biːˈoʊʃiə formerly Cadmeis was a region of Ancient Greece, north of the Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία Parga (Πάργα Pargë is a town and a municipality located in the northwestern part of Preveza in northwestern Greece being surrounded entirely by the prefecture Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία Saint Archbishop Sava (or saint Sabbas; Serbian: Свети Сава Sveti Sava) ( 1175 - January 14, 1235) originally Nicosia, known locally as Lefkosia (Λευκωσία Lefkoşa is the Capital and largest city of Cyprus. Cyprus (Κύπρος transliterated: Kýpros,; Kıbrıs officially the Republic of Cyprus (Κυπριακή Δημοκρατία Kypriakī́ Dīmokratía Thessaloniki (Θεσσαλονίκη), Thessalonica, or Salonica is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of Macedonia Archangels are superior or higher-ranking Angels Archangels are found in a number of religious traditions including Islam, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism Sergiyev Posad (Се́ргиев Поса́д is a city and the administrative center of Sergiyevo-Posadsky District of Moscow Oblast, Russia Elias is the Latin transliteration of the Greek name Ἠλίας pronounced either [[IPA|elias] ] in most European languages or [[IPA|ə'lajəz] ] in English-speaking Yaroslavl (Яросла́вль is a city in Russia, the administrative center of Yaroslavl Oblast, located north-east of Moscow. Astrakhan (А́страхань Ästerxan Persian: حاجی‌ترخان Haji-Tarkhan) is a major city in southern European Russia and The state of Bulgaria (България transliterated bg-Latn ''Balgaria'' The country preserves the traditions (in ethnic name language and alphabet of the First Bulgarian The Cathedral of the Archangel ( Russian: Архангельский собор, or Arkhangelsky sobor) is the name of several Cathedrals in The Moscow Kremlin ( Russian: Московский Кремль Moskovskiy Kreml) usually referred to as simply The Kremlin, is a historic fortified Uglich (У́глич ˈuglʲiʨ is a historic town in Yaroslavl Oblast, Russia, on the Volga River. In Christianity the Annunciation ( grc Ευαγγελισμός της Θεοτόκου, Evangelismós tēs Theotókou in Greek) is the revelation The Twelve Apostles (Greek apostolos, "someone sent out" e A saint (from the Latin sanctus) is a human being to whom has been attributed (and who has generally demonstrated a high level of Holiness and Sanctity The Monastery of the Dormition of the Most Holy Mother of God (Троянски манастир „Успение Богородично“ or as it is more commonly The state of Bulgaria (България transliterated bg-Latn ''Balgaria'' The country preserves the traditions (in ethnic name language and alphabet of the First Bulgarian TemplateInfobox City for more fields--> Sarajevo is the Capital city and largest urban center of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with The Commonwealth of Massachusetts ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Seldovia is a city in Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska, United States. Alaska ( Аляска Alyaska) is a state in the United States of America, in the northwest of the North American continent Tallinn (historically known by the German, Swedish and Danish name Reval or the Polish name Rewal, among other names Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia ( Eesti or Eesti Vabariik) is a Country in Northern Europe in the Baltic region Izhevsk (Иже́вск i'ʐɛfsk Ижкар from 1985 to 1987— Ustinov (ru Усти́нов after Dmitry Ustinov, is the capital city of the Borodino (Бородино is a Village in Moscow Oblast, Russia, 12 km southwards of Mozhaysk. Sergey Mikhaylovich Prokudin-Gorsky ( August 31, 1863, Murom  &ndash September 27, 1944, Paris) was a Russian Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. The State of Illinois ( roughly ill-i-NOY is a state of the United States of America, the 21st to be admitted to the Union. The Nativity of the Theotokos, celebrating the birth of Mary, is one of the Twelve Great Feasts of the Eastern Orthodox Liturgical year. Kozelets (Козелець Козелец is a historic town located in Chernihiv Oblast ( province) of northern Ukraine. The Serbian Orthodox Church ( Serbian: Српска Православна Црква / Srpska Pravoslavna Crkva; СПЦ / SPC) or the Trebinje ( Cyrillic: Требиње is the Southern most Municipality and Town in Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina Republika Srpska ( Serbian: Република Српска Republika Srpska ( often abbreviated PC or RS) also Српска Srpska	Tornio, Finland
Neoclassical Sheremetev Chapel, St. Tornio (Duortnus Torneå is a municipality in Lapland, Finland. Finland, officially the Republic of Finland ( is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. Jacob Monastery (Yakovlevsky), Rostov	Sanok, Poland	Varna, Bulgaria	Iconostasis added by the Romanian Orthodox community which uses the 17th century Santa Maria della Vittoria sanctuary, Milan
Palace Chapel at the Catherine Palace, St. Petersburg, Russia	Baroque Iconostasis at Troitse-Gledensky Monastery near Veliky Ustyug, Russia	Chernigovskiy Skete	Nativity of the Theotokos Cathedral in Koselets
Church of the Holy Spirit, Vilnius, Lithuania	Śnietnica, Poland (Greek Catholic)	Unique iconostas at Peter and Paul Cathedral, St. Rostov (Росто́в Old Norse: Rostofa is one of the oldest towns in Russia and an important tourist centre of the so called Golden Sanok ( Latin: Sanocum, German: Saanig, Yiddish: Sonik, Ukrainian: Сянiк, in full The Royal Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland Varna (Варна is the largest city and seaside resort on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast, third-largest in Bulgaria after Sofia and Plovdiv The state of Bulgaria (България transliterated bg-Latn ''Balgaria'' The country preserves the traditions (in ethnic name language and alphabet of the First Bulgarian The Romanian Orthodox Church ( Biserica Ortodoxă Română in Romanian) is a Autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church Santa Maria della Vittoria is a small Basilica church in Rome, on Via XX Settembre Milan (Milano Milan (listen) is one of the largest cities in Italy, located in the plains of Lombardy. The Catherine Palace (Екатерининский дворец is the Rococo summer residence of the Russian Saint Petersburg ( tr: Sankt-Peterburg,) is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Veliky Ustyug (Вели́кий У́стюг is a town in Vologda Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Sukhona and Chernihiv, also referred to as Chernigov (Чернігів Чернигов Чарнігаў is a historic city in northern Ukraine. A skete is a community of Christian Hermits following a monastic rule allowing them to Worship in comparative Solitude, while also The Nativity of the Theotokos, celebrating the birth of Mary, is one of the Twelve Great Feasts of the Eastern Orthodox Liturgical year. Kozelets (Козелець Козелец is a historic town located in Chernihiv Oblast ( province) of northern Ukraine. Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania (Lietuvos Respublika is a Country in Eastern often referred to as Northern Europe or in the Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland This article refers to Eastern Churches in full communion with the Holy See The Peter and Paul Cathedral is located inside the Peter and Paul Fortress in St Petersburg	St Mary and St Mercurius Coptic Orthodox Church in Risca, South Wales
St. St Mary and St Mercurius Coptic Orthodox Church is the first Coptic Orthodox Church in Wales, at St Mary Street in Risca, Newport, Wales. Alternate meanings see Risca (disambiguation. Risca (Rhisga is a Town of approximately 11500 people in Gwent South Wales within the historic South Wales (De Cymru is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south and Mid Wales and West Wales Michael Ethiopian Orthodox Church in Garland, Texas, USA	San Pietro Celestino, currently being used by the Coptic community in Milan, Italy

Notes

See also

• Templon
• Ambon
• Soleas

External links

• Photo of early iconostasis. Church of the Aposltes, Athens 1000 AD
• Images of Fedorov's Russian Orthodox Style Iconostasis at Winchester Cathedral