Icons for the Nativity of Christ. How does the holy image help? Angelic song heard by the shepherds

“The Nativity of Christ”, icon by Andrei Rublev, 1405.

About the icon.

In the center of the icon is the Mother of God. We pay attention to Her first of all, because Her figure is the largest on this icon. This is not accidental, because it was thanks to the Most Pure Virgin that the greatest sacrament took place - the coming of God into the world.

Now notice that the face of the Mother of God is turned not to Christ, but to us? At first glance it’s strange - after all, after the birth of a child, usually a mother cannot take her eyes off him - so she sees him as wonderful, beautiful, better than anyone in the world! But this is an icon, not a painting that simply depicts the events of that night. And in the icon, every detail is filled with meaning. So the turning of the face of the Mother of God towards us, looking at the icon, indicates that from now on She becomes the intercessor of the human race, our intercessor, and that we can turn to
Ney with her prayers.

Next to the Mother of God we see little Christ. He is not lying in a crib, but in a manger. A manger is a feeding trough for animals. You remember, guys, that Christ was born not in the royal chambers, not in a rich house, but in a cave, where sheep and oxen found shelter in bad weather.

The figurine of the infant Christ is the smallest in the icon. He is tightly wrapped in swaddling clothes, motionless and seemingly helpless. In such an image of Christ, the icon painter wants to convey to us a very important idea: the Son of God comes into the world not in His greatness and splendor, not so that people would worship and serve Him, but in order to serve them Himself, to save them from eternal death. He comes quietly and modestly, almost unnoticeably. That is why the figurine of Christ is so small.

But it is precisely this that the Star of Bethlehem points to, which led the Magi to Christ. You see, at the top, above the head of Christ, there is a semicircle. This is a symbol for the sky. The Star of Bethlehem shines in the sky. Its rays descend directly to the Baby’s head, they point to Him. They seem to say: He alone can save people from death!

At the top, Angels are depicted on the left and right. They bring people the great and joyful news of the birth of the Savior. The first people to know about this are the shepherds. The number of shepherd figures on an icon may vary. Our icon depicts two shepherds. Their heads are slightly raised - they are listening to the Angel, who tells him wonderful news. Another shepherd, a middle-aged one, dressed in skin, is depicted next to Joseph the Betrothed.

But on the left are the Magi who follow the Star of Bethlehem. There are three of them, wearing traveling raincoats and hats. They traveled a long, difficult path to find Christ, worship Him and bring their gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh. The Magi are depicted separately from the shepherds because they represent pagan peoples. And the shepherds are Jewish. And these peoples, who until now each lived according to their own laws and traditions, are now all coming to Christ. He binds them together, giving rise to a new human race - Christians.

And finally, in the lower part of the icon is the washing of the Infant Christ, which is performed by two women. This scene on the icon is also a symbol. It shows that the Son of God came into the world as a true man and is ready to experience everything that is characteristic of any person, of course, except for sin.

The holy image is filled with feelings of jubilation and spiritual joy; it has become significant not only for believers, but also for researchers and various art exhibitions. For two millennia, icon painters have been creating frescoes and icons that show the Baby in a manger, the Most Pure Mother of God, her husband Joseph and animals next to them. The image called “The Nativity of Christ” tells of great events that took place many centuries ago.

History of the image creation

The holiday of the birth of the Messiah symbolizes the beginning of a new era in the history of the Christian religion.

The celebration is considered the twelfth (one of the 12 most important) and is celebrated on January 7, preceded by the Nativity Fast. The first mention of the festival dates back to the 4th century; its appearance is associated with the Church’s desire to eradicate the pagan cult in which the Sun was worshiped. On January 7, Orthodox Christians greet each other with the phrase: “Christ was born!”, and in response they hear: “We praise Him!”

The sacred Christmas image was created by A. Rublev; it is considered a work of art and evokes spiritual delight among true Christians. According to historical information, the painting of the icon dates back to “Middle Antiquity” (early 15th century). The main material of the canvas was linden. The original Christmas image has been preserved in somewhat intact condition.

Description of the icon

The Nativity icon, created by A. Rublev, is considered a great work of art and gives believers spiritual strength. The canvas is divided into several storylines, each of which symbolizes a specific topic.

• Against the general background, the observer will notice a synthesis of several shades: green, white and yellow. This combination allowed the work of art to become bright and natural, and the contours of the main characters acquired sufficient believability.
• In the center of the plot is the Most Pure Mother of God, leaning on her right forearm, with her hands she holds the Infant Christ. According to the author's idea, the Mother of God is a key figure in the event of the birth of the Messiah.
• At the top of the work are depicted the holy angels gathered here to glorify the newborn Child and herald a new era in the history of the Christian religion. The first heavenly messenger is dressed in red clothes, he holds his hands in the folds of his robe - this is a symbol of humility. An angel is located closer to the light coming from the Lord, another, dressed in bright green, talks to him. The third heavenly messenger is dressed in scarlet, he preaches to the simple-minded shepherds that the Messiah has come to earth.
• At the bottom of the canvas, two maids are shown participating in the ritual of bathing Christ. One holds the newborn Christ in her arms, and the other pours water into the font. This episode shows non-stop life path. The icon was created in such a way that the Baby is in two places at once: in the cradle and in the arms of one of the maids. This artistic device speaks of the inconsistency of the concept of “time”.

Additional icon plots

Near the manger, the observer can notice the heads of sacred animals - a donkey and an ox. They are symbols of the unification of people of different nationalities who will soon receive salvation from the Messiah.

• Having placed the animals on the canvas, A. Rublev emphasized that in the city of Bethlehem itself there was no place for the Baby. The ox symbolically implies the Jewish nation, which from ancient times awaited the appearance of the Savior, the donkey is the personification of the pagan world. Two opposing worldviews met in the Bethlehem cave - the origin does not matter, the important thing is that everyone turned to the Lord.
• At the top of the canvas there are three wise men, who are also called the Magi. These people traveled long distances following the Star of Bethlehem; with them they carried great alms (incense, gold and incense), personifying God, the king and the dying state. The Magi vary in age, this implies that they come to the salvation of souls at any time.
• On the left on the canvas is Joseph the Betrothed, who was the patron of the Blessed Virgin. The man is depicted sitting; he decided to secretly let Mary go, because in Jewish tradition, a woman who committed adultery was abandoned by her husbands. However, a heavenly angel appeared to Joseph in a dream and resolved all his doubts on this matter, informing him that the Baby was from the Holy Spirit.
• One of the shepherds, communicating with the Betrothed, is depicted in clothes made of skins - similar attire was worn by the poorest people. Two other shepherds lean on their staffs and listen to the news of the birth of the Baby. Next to them, the author depicts animals, which means that every creature rejoices at this great event. Jewish shepherds tended sheep around the clock, which were once sacrificed in temples. These shepherds lived a simple, virtuous life and waited more than others for the coming of the Messiah.

Icon “Nativity of Christ” from the Annunciation Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin

Meaning of the icon

Prayer before the Christmas icon saves a person from financial problems and unemployment, and also helps to heal from various illnesses and emotional distress. The petition itself praises the day of Christ’s birth; the Orthodox people turn to the Lord for help and wish to find peace and harmony.

Important! Everyone must understand, looking at the icon, that the Lord is omnipotent, and His Son gave his life for the sake of everyone else. It is necessary to mentally walk the path from the cave to Golgotha ​​together with the Savior and realize the connection between man and God.

The word “Bethlehem” is translated from Hebrew as “house of bread”; this city was not a large settlement, but witnessed a grandiose religious event. Ancient Christians built a small church over the cave of the Nativity, which withstood the attacks of the Persians, who saw their ancestors on the frescoes and retreated in fear.

This cathedral houses the icon of the Mother of God of Bethlehem.

Christians turn to the icon to be healed of illnesses and overcome financial troubles.

Icon of the Nativity of Christ

The action takes place against the backdrop of yellowish-greenish hills with delicate greenish-white flanks (poorly preserved) and with transparent greenish-olive shading, giving the landscape an airy spatiality and insubstantiality.
In the center of the icon, on a cinnabar bed, is a reclining Mother of God, shrouded in dark reddish-brown maphorium (the maphoria painting is poorly preserved; in many places it has been lost to the gesso and slightly toned during restoration). The Mother of God leans to the right, resting her head on left hand and turning in the direction opposite to the manger with the baby. The free, casual grace of her pose and silhouette expresses relaxation. The outline of her proportional, not very elongated figure is softly and smoothly echoed by the lines of the red bed. The sonorous, somewhat cold tone of his cinnabar is the same everywhere in the icon and flares up festively on the himation of the maid in the scene of the baby’s bathing, on the himation and tunic of the two glorifying angels at the top right and on the fluttering cloak of one of the wise men riding on horses on the left. Everywhere this scarlet color is given in combination with a transparent dark green tone, enhancing its sonority (in places where the upper layers of the painting have been lost, this green tone, unfortunately, has become much lighter and weaker than the original one). The pinkish-scarlet cinnabar bed of the Mother of God, although it is given against a yellowish-transparent background of light slides, on the right especially lights up from the proximity of the greenery of the plants, giving the joy of praise to the sound of color of the entire icon. It should be noted that the tone of the cinnabar “Nativity of Christ” is very close to the red robes of kings David and Solomon and Eve in the “Descent into Hell” icon, where the theme of the joy of the holiday is especially expressive. As a rule, the colors in each icon of the iconostasis are very individual, and you should pay attention to the coincidence of tonality Special attention to identify the hand of the same master.
The cinnabar spots of the master of “The Nativity of Christ” do not give the impression of being flat, since they are softened here and there by shading. At the feet and at the head of the Mother of God, her bed is decorated with dark yellow stripes with a golden assist, and at the head this decoration is very fragmentary.
At the top, close to the bed of the Mother of God, there is an olive-greenish manger with a baby in white shrouds, intertwined with a cinnabar swaddling cloth, indicating that this particular baby is a source of joy for people. The text of the Gospel of Luke (chapter 2, art. 1, 11, 12) reads: “And the angel said to them (the shepherds - N.D.): Do not be afraid, for behold, great joy is brought to you that is good news, which will be to all people. ...For today the Savior, who is Christ the Lord, was born to you in the city of David. “Behold, this is a sign for you: you will find a baby midwife lying in a manger.”

And the iconostasis of the Trinity-Sergius Monastery:

The icon “Nativity of Christ” reveals to our eyes a unique and inimitable world of Gospel events. To be more precise, it depicts the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ into the world - a great event in the history of mankind.

Many artists depicted the Nativity of Christ a thousand years before Andrei Rublev. In 330, Emperor Constantine ordered the construction of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. There is no doubt that an icon on this topic was placed there. But “The Nativity of Christ,” the icon of Andrei Rublev, was painted in a special way.

What does the icon say?

In the center, on a scarlet bed, the Mother of God reclines, leaning on her hand, her face is similar to the face of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God. The face of the Virgin Mary is thoughtful and shocked by what has happened, although she is not tired, because the child was born in a miraculous, painless manner. Nearby, in an animal feeder, lies a swaddled Baby, with animals standing above him - an ox and a donkey.

Rublev, by placing the animals with the Lord, thereby wanted not only to emphasize that there was no place for the Messiah in Bethlehem, but also to confirm the words of the prophet Isaiah. The ox symbolizes the Jewish people who were waiting for the Savior, and the donkey symbolizes the entire pagan world. These two worlds meet in the cave of Bethlehem, and it doesn’t matter the origin of a person, the main thing is that everyone comes to the Lord. Several more angels stand bowed next to the wonderful Baby.

Magi and angels

Further, Rublev’s icon “The Nativity of Christ” conveys to people another gospel event. In the uppermost corner are three wise men. In the East they were called Magi, and they were the wisest people of its time. They have come a long way, following an extraordinary star. The wise men brought with them gifts for the Baby: gold, incense and myrrh (fragrant oil). Each gift is chosen for a reason: gold represents the king, incense - God, and myrrh - a man who has yet to die.

Magi of different ages: young, middle and old. By this, the artist shows that at any age one can come to salvation, but it is the young one who points to the Baby, thereby making it clear that in early age find the Lord better.

In the top right row, the “Nativity of Christ” icon shows angels, Rublev has three of them. One angel in a scarlet veil holds his hands in the folds of his clothing. According to ancient tradition, this gesture indicated humility. An angel stands closest to the Divine Light, and another, in a bright green robe, talks with him. The artist shows that this angel has just learned about a great event. The third angel, in a scarlet veil, bent down and preached to the shepherds about the birth of Christ.

Who else is depicted in the Nativity of Christ icon?

Reading the Gospel, a person becomes familiar with the events described by the artist. Angel Gabriel appeared to the Virgin Mary and said that she would soon bear the Baby in her womb. The embarrassed Virgo does not understand how this can happen, since she “does not know her husband.” The angel preaches the gospel and explains that this will be the Messiah who will come to save the human race. Virgo humbly and joyfully accepts this news.

Before the birth of the Son occurs, Mary and Joseph the Betrothed will come to Bethlehem for a census, but in the city they have nowhere to stay for the night, and they find shelter in a cave. In general, this icon, like many others, describes several events in the earthly life of the Lord at once, and time does not stand on it. The baby can be seen in two places: in the manger and in the arms of the maid. This movement confirms that God has no such thing as time.

Reflections of Joseph the Betrothed

The icon “The Nativity of Christ” by Andrei Rublev shows the world Joseph the Betrothed, sitting in the leftmost row and thinking about something. This miniature image tells the gospel story associated with this righteous man: Joseph sits and decides to secretly let Mary go.

In Israel there was a custom: a woman who committed adultery was stoned after giving birth to a child. So Rublev showed the torment of a righteous man who does not want to subject Mary to shameful punishment. But in a dream an angel appeared to him and resolved all his torment, saying that the one born of the Virgin is Christ the Savior himself.

Mary herself reclines in the center, for some reason turning away from the Child. In fact, she mentally turns to Joseph and reflects on the Divine event.

Angelic song heard by the shepherds

The “Nativity of Christ” icon also preaches about another gospel event. One of the shepherds talking with Joseph the Betrothed is drawn by the artist wearing clothes made from animal skins with the fur facing out. Such clothes were worn by the poorest people, and the other two shepherds, leaning on their staffs, listen to the good news, which is told to them by a bowed angel in scarlet clothing. On the icon, next to the shepherds, under the tree, animals are drawn: with this the artist says that every creature rejoices at the birth of the Lord.

In ancient times, Jewish shepherds had to herd sacrificial animals day and night to be brought to the temple. These were simple and kind people who, more than other Jews, were waiting for the coming of the Messiah, so they learn about the birth of the Baby and hear angels singing: “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace...”

Every church has icons of the Nativity of Christ; Orthodox believers especially revere this holiday, since it is on a par with Easter.

Image of baptism

In the lower right corner, Rublev placed two maids preparing to bathe the Child. With this episode the artist shows movement, life that flows. One maid pours water into the font, and the other carefully holds the Baby, who stretches his hands to her. At first glance, it is not clear who these women are and why exactly they wash the newborn. Most likely, this image reminds people of the baptism of Christian children.

Icon "Nativity of Christ", meaning: how does it help everyone who turns to it?

The word "Bethlehem" translated from Hebrew means "house of bread", the city itself is small, but is the custodian of a great event. Even the ancient Christians built a small temple at the birthplace of the Lord, which was later destroyed by the pagan emperor. The temple has been miraculously preserved to this day, and this happened as follows. When the Persians burst into the temple and wanted to destroy it, a fresco depicting the Magi caught their eye. These were their ancestors, depicted in national clothes and who came to worship Christ. The Persians were so shocked that they left the temple with reverence.

The icon of the “Bethlehem Mother of God,” considered miraculous, is carefully preserved in the Bethlehem church. “The Nativity of Christ,” the icon of Andrei Rublev, stands on a par with this and other miraculous icons and helps everyone who turns to it with faith.

Andrey Rublev

It is known that Rublev was born into a family of painters. The name Andrei was given to him when he was tonsured, and the world-famous icon painter himself was a quiet, modest person, as befits a real monk.

There is no reliable information about the place of birth of this holy man; according to some sources, he was born in the Moscow Principality, according to others - in Nizhny Novgorod. But the year of death and the place where the icon painter was buried are known for certain. Andrei Rublev died in 1428 and was buried in the Spaso-Andronikov Monastery. Nowadays the Rublev Museum is opened on this site.

The early works of the Rev. Andrei Rublev are made in warm colors and imbued with joy and reverence. The prayer before the icon “Nativity of Christ” by Rublev of ordinary believers (according to their confession) is always filled special significance, she is as warm and humble as the very appearance of the swaddled Divine Child.

The later period of the icon painter’s life is reflected in his works, which were painted in darker tones, since Rus' was then beset by internecine wars. The monk’s brushes include such icons as “ Life-giving Trinity"(also early creative period), "Descent into Hell", "Annunciation", "Ascension", "Candlemas".

Rublevskaya school

The ancient icon “Nativity of Christ” is made in olive, white, greenish-yellow colors, and this makes it seem sunny and miraculous.

The figure of the Virgin Mary is placed in the very center and is dressed in dark red (crimson) clothing or, as it is correctly called, mophorium. The baby lies nearby in white swaddling clothes, tied with a cinnabar (red) swaddling cloth. Rev. Andrei indicated with this detail that this baby is Jesus Christ - the savior of the world. Behind the back of the Mother of God, the icon painter showed in black that this event took place in a cave.

The icon is written on a board carved from linden. It has survived to this day in relatively good condition. There are several cracks in the central area of ​​the icon and on the face of the Mother of God, the halos have worn out and the colors have faded, but even in this form, the “Nativity of Christ” icon has a huge spiritual influence on believers. The meaning (in which it helps, interests many believers) of this Divine creation has not yet been fully explored. It affects every Christian differently, but no one can pass by indifferent.

Today the icon is kept in the Kremlin Annunciation Cathedral; anyone can come there and venerate the shrine.

Orthodox painters painted many icons of the Nativity of Christ in a similar or different form, but the founder of the Russian school of painting was a saintly saint, Andrei Rublev.

After a long winter fast, joyful days come for Orthodox Christians: gifts, family dinners, carols, and attendance at holiday services. This is one of the main holidays for Christians - Christmas. The icon, decorated with garlands of white flowers, can tell a lot about the mysterious meaning of that ancient day. It depicts all the main participants in the gospel events.

If for a person Christmas is just another day when you don't have to go to work, it might be worth delving into the essence of a long-familiar story. After all, this is not just a plot for beautiful postcard with angels. It was not for nothing that the day when Christ was born became the countdown of a new era.

When was Christ born?

The exact date is hidden from people. January 25 was set arbitrarily by a certain mathematician monk who compiled the Julian calendar. Over time, astronomical “surpluses” accumulated, for two whole weeks. Therefore, the whole world at the end of the 16th century. switched to the more accurate Gregorian calendar. Russia accepted it only in 1918, and the Russian Orthodox Church still lives according to the Julian style.

Therefore, many may have the wrong impression that our country has its own Christmas. No, it falls on the same date, just according to a different calendar. According to a number of researchers, Jesus Christ could not have been born at the end of December, but everything happened in the spring, before the Jewish Passover. In principle, this is not decisive for the salvation of the soul, otherwise the Lord would have preserved the exact date.

In the first centuries of Christianity, people did not celebrate birthdays at all. For them, the most important day was the day of death - this is the date of a person’s birth into eternal life, the day of his union with the Creator. Therefore, the Nativity of the Savior was also not celebrated, or rather, it was combined with Epiphany. Only years later it was decided to set a separate date for this important event. The holiday became widespread for Christians only in the 4th century; in Russia it began to be celebrated in the 10th century, after the baptism of Prince Vladimir.

Development of iconography

The first known images associated with Christmas are not about Christmas itself. Here in the center is a fulfilled prophecy. In the center of the composition is the Virgin Mary and Child, in front of them is a prophet pointing to a star. More detailed description The events of the Nativity of Christ appear on icons only in the 6th century.

• The Virgin Mary and Jesus lie in the cave.

• There are animals nearby - a donkey, an ox, and sometimes sheep. According to legend, Mary was riding on a donkey. Joseph took the ox with him to get money to pay taxes (for this the family went on a journey). Allegorically, the donkey means perseverance, and the ox means hard work.

• A star shines above the cave. Usually depicted in a beam of light. The cave illuminated with light is a symbol of the fact that Christmas enlightened humanity, which had previously been in darkness.

• There are stories around that complement big picture: Joseph bowing in prayer, wise men, angels, shepherds, scene of the Baby’s bathing.

Using basic elements, masters create an image without going beyond the canonical interpretation. The Church developed the entire doctrine of the Incarnation after the 7th Ecumenical Council. Then the icon painters were able to fully express what had already been formulated in words. The canonical icon not only reminds of the holiday, it serves as a refutation of heresies (for example, Monophysitism).

The appearance of Christ in the flesh is the main event of human history. According to some philosophers, this is its main meaning, which is clearly expressed in the “Nativity of Christ” icon.

Why does the Mother of God look not at her Son, but to the side? She turns her gaze to the wise men who brought expensive gifts to the Lord. The pagans, who were the Magi, symbolize all of humanity. Anyone who wants to give their life to God will be greeted favorably. The scene showing the Baby bathing appeared later. It probably recalls the baptism of infants accepted in Orthodoxy.

Fresco by Andrey Rublev

Such a plot can also be found among the works of the icon painter A. Rublev. Under the master’s hand, even paints have become a means of expression - he creates space in such a way that it is filled with airy weightlessness, as if all nature is throwing off the shackles of materiality.

After Christmas the very meaning human life has changed. People became children of God in the full sense. The King of Heaven took upon himself a corruptible shell. Christ became the second Adam. The earth is no longer a vale of sorrow - after all, the Lord Himself settled on it, who then, with his death on the cross, will open the way to heaven. That's why Angels sing about peace on earth and kindness to people.

Rublev painted the icon of the Nativity of Christ while decorating the Annunciation Cathedral. Much later, they began to make it as an independent item and place it in churches and homes. The image is made in Byzantine traditions. They allow painters to depict several events that happened at different times on one canvas. After all, God has no time limits.

• The angels, who are usually in the upper corner of the composition, in this case worship God right next to the manger. They even show their readiness to accept him into their arms. Of course, the angels at that moment were invisible to the human eye.

• Researchers have different opinions about who is depicted on the Nativity icon next to the righteous Joseph. Some believe that this is a shepherd, some call it the devil, who is trying to sow doubt. However, Joseph's doubts were dispelled even before the journey began by an Angel who appeared to him in a dream. Most likely, this is just one of the shepherds who received an invitation to the newborn Savior.

How does the holy image help?

The richness of the characters in the icon of the Nativity of Christ should not confuse - this is the image and holiday of the Lord. How does He help? Every believer should know firmly that God can do everything. This is the heavenly Father, the intercessor who gave His life for human sins. Looking at the image, the believer must mentally go all the way from the Bethlehem cave to Golgotha ​​and, first of all, thank the Lord for the gift of eternal life. It was with Christmas that the restoration of relations between God and people began.

Every day you should confess your sins in personal prayer, asking that liberation from them be granted. The composition of the icon of the Nativity of Christ is constructed in such a way that one can appreciate the full scale of the event - it is truly universal. It’s not for nothing that the action takes place not only on earth, but an entire angelic army descends from heaven.

The story of the evangelists demonstrates that Christmas affected representatives of a wide variety of classes - kings, the top of the clergy, wise men from other countries, and simple shepherds. Even the animals were not left out. The entire depth of meaning of the feast of the Nativity of Christ is expressed in the icon; it helps to understand the measure of Divine love. This little defenseless man, lying in swaddling clothes, will, after a little time, become an atoning sacrifice.

But almighty God does not at all instill in us a feeling of guilt - He simply shows His love, awaits conversion, repentance. Through Him you can find peace of mind and confidence in salvation. When spiritual affairs improve, a person will be able to restore order in his earthly life. May everyone be able to open their hearts to receive the Christ Child!

Glorification of the Nativity of Christ

We magnify You, Life-Giving Christ, for our sake now born in the flesh from the Blessed and Most Pure Virgin Mary.

Troparion to the Nativity of Christ

Thy Nativity, Christ our God, rises up and is the worldly light of reason: in it, for serving the stars, studying with a star, I bow to Thee, the Sun of righteousness, and I lead Thee from the heights of the East: Lord, glory to Thee.

Kontakion, tone 3

The Virgin today gives birth to the Most Essential, and the earth brings a den to the Unapproachable; Angels and shepherds praise, while wolves travel with a star; For our sake, the Young Child, the Eternal God, was born.

What you need to know about the Nativity icon