Iconostasis: The Union Between Heaven and Earth

When you visit an Orthodox church, you might fairly be amazed at how many idiosyncratic elements and features you can find inside. For those foreign to religion and church-going, it would be hard to identify their real purpose and meaning on the first attempt. Most questions, though, arise owing to the iconostasis, probably the most visible and awe-inspiring aspect of the in-church environment. Many laymen still wonder what clergymen are “hiding” there, and what they are trying to conceal. The truth is that no detail is too small, and here is why.

At first glance, the iconostasis might seem like just a decorative element of the church, but there is a grander purpose behind it. Consisting of one or more tiers of religious icons and broken by a set of doors in the center and each side, it has always been the line physically dividing the space but spiritually bringing together the nave and Holy of Holies (inner sanctuary). The sanctuary, in its turn, is considered to be a holy spot in the church, and this is when the iconostasis takes on a new meaning, a symbolical one.

In broad terms, the iconostasis is the union and link between Heaven and Earth. Religious icons and paintings represented upon the iconostasis serve as a bridge that connects the kingdom of man and the kingdom of God. Hewing to this interpretation, one may assume that the iconostasis proves that the bond between two kingdoms is achieved, and God and the Saints are now both among men and in Heaven. Well, according to theology, this assumption is perfectly correct.

Summarizing what has been said, the iconostasis is a means of dialogue between God and man. So next time you visit a church, pay close attention to the holy icons constituting the wall, and maybe you will be able to go deeper in finding the purpose of the iconostasis.