Orthodox crosses: how to understand the meanings? Types of stitches for embroidery: from simple to complex Monogram cross "sun-shaped"

04.07.2020

What Orthodox crosses do you know? What is their difference from each other? Many Orthodox Christians are pondering these questions! We have an answer!

Orthodox crosses: history of origin

In the Old Testament Church, which was mainly composed of Jews, crucifixion, as is known, was not used, and, as is customary, they were executed in three ways: they were stoned, burned alive and hung on a tree. Therefore, “they write about the gallows:“ cursed is everyone who hangs on the tree ”(Deut. 21:23),” explains St. Demetrius of Rostov (Search, Part 2, Ch. 24). The fourth execution - beheading with a sword - was added to them in the era of Kingdoms.

And crucifixion was then a pagan Greco-Roman tradition, and the Jewish people knew it only a few decades before the birth of Christ, when the Romans crucified their last legitimate king, Antigonus. Therefore, in the Old Testament texts there is not and cannot be even any likeness of a cross as an instrument of execution: both from the side of the name and from the side of the form; but, on the contrary, there is a lot of evidence: 1) about the deeds of men, the image of the cross of the Lord prophetically preformed, 2) about the known objects, the power and the tree of the cross mysteriously destined, and 3) about visions and revelations, the very suffering of the Lord foreshadowed.

The cross itself, as a terrible instrument of shameful execution, chosen by Satan as the banner of lethality, evoked overwhelming fear and horror, but thanks to Christ the Victorious, it became a desired trophy, evoking joyful feelings. Therefore, Saint Hippolytus of Rome - the Apostolic husband - exclaimed: “And the Church has her trophy over death - this is the Cross of Christ, which she wears on herself,” and Saint Paul, the Apostle of tongues, wrote in his Epistle: "I wish to boast (...) only in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ"(Gal. 6:14). “Look how longed-for and dignified this is such a terrible and revolting (shameful - Slavs.) Sign of the most cruel executions in antiquity,” St. John Chrysostom testified. And the Apostolic husband - Saint Justin the Philosopher - asserted: "The cross, as the prophet foretold, is the greatest symbol of the power and authority of Christ" (Apology, § 55).

In general, “symbol” is in Greek “connection”, and means either a means that realizes connection, or the discovery of invisible reality through visible naturalness, or the expressibility of a concept by an image.

In the New Testament Church, which arose in Palestine mainly from former Jews, at first the grafting of symbolic images was difficult due to their adherence to their previous traditions, which strictly prohibited images and thereby protected the Old Testament Church from the influence of pagan idolatry. However, as you know, the Providence of God even then gave her many lessons in the symbolic and iconographic language. For example: God, forbidding the prophet Ezekiel to speak, commanded him to inscribe on the brick the image of the siege of Jerusalem as a “sign to the sons of Israel” (Ezek. 4: 3). And it is clear that over time, with an increase in the number of Christians from other nations, where images were traditionally allowed, such a one-sided influence of the Jewish element, of course, weakened and gradually disappeared altogether.

Already from the first centuries of Christianity, due to the persecution of the followers of the crucified Redeemer, Christians were forced to hide, performing their rituals in secret. And the absence of Christian statehood - the external fence of the Church and the duration of such an oppressed state - affected the development of worship and symbolism.

To this day, precautions have been preserved in the Church to protect the doctrine itself and the shrines from the pernicious curiosity of the enemies of Christ. For example, the Iconostasis is a product of the Sacrament of Communion, which is subject to protective measures; or the deacon's exclamation: "Leave the catechumens, go out" between the liturgies of the catechumens and the faithful, undoubtedly reminds us that "we celebrate the Sacrament by closing the doors, and forbid the uninitiated to be with him," writes Chrysostom (Conversation 24, Matt.).

Let us remember how the famous Roman lycee and mime Genesius, by order of the emperor Diocletian in 268, exhibited the Sacrament of Baptism in the circus as a mockery. What a miraculous effect the spoken words had on him, we see from the life of the blessed martyr Genesius: having repented, he was baptized and, together with Christians prepared for public execution, "was the first to be beheaded." This is far from the only fact of desecration of the shrine - an example of the fact that many of the Christian secrets became known to the pagans long ago.

"This world,- according to John the Seer, - all lying in evil "(1 John 5:19), and there is that aggressive environment in which the Church fights for the salvation of people and which forced Christians from the first centuries to use conventional symbolic language: abbreviations, monograms, symbolic images and signs.

This new language of the Church helps to initiate a new convert into the mystery of the Cross gradually, of course, taking into account his spiritual age. After all, the need (as a voluntary condition) of gradualness in the disclosure of dogmas to the catechumens preparing to receive baptism is based on the words of the Savior Himself (see Matthew 7; 6 and 1 Cor. 3: 1). That is why St. Cyril of Jerusalem divided his sermons into two parts: the first, of 18 catechumens, where there is not a word about the Sacraments, and the second, of 5 secret sermons, explaining to the faithful all the Church Sacraments. In the preface, he convinces the catechumens not to convey what they have heard to outsiders: "when you experience the height of the taught, then you learn that the catechumens are unworthy to hear him." And St. John Chrysostom wrote: “I would like to speak openly about this, but I am afraid of the uninitiated. For they make it difficult for our conversation, forcing us to speak vaguely and obscurely "(Conversation 40, 1 Cor.) Blessed Theodoret, Bishop of Kirra, says the same thing: “We talk privately about divine secrets because of the uninitiated; after the removal of those who have become worthy of secret science, we teach them clearly ”(15 questions. Num.).

Orthodox cross symbolism

Forms and types of Orthodox crosses

Thus, the pictorial symbols that enclose the verbal formulas of dogmas and Sacraments not only improved the way of expression, but, being a new sacred language, even more reliably protected church doctrine from aggressive profanation. We are to this day, as the Apostle Paul taught, "We preach the wisdom of God, secret, hidden"(1 Cor. 2: 7).

Cross T-shaped "antonievsky"

In the southern and eastern parts of the Roman Empire, a weapon called the "Egyptian" cross since the time of Moses and resembling the letter "T" in European languages was used to execute criminals. “The Greek letter T,” wrote Count A. S. Uvarov, “is one of the forms of the cross used for crucifixions” (Christian symbolism, Moscow, 1908, p. 76)

“The number 300, expressed in Greek through the letter T, has also served since the time of the Apostles to designate the cross,” says the famous liturgist Archimandrite Gabriel. - This Greek letter T is found in the inscription of a 3rd century tomb discovered in the catacombs of St. Callistus. (...) This image of the letter T is found on one carnelian engraved in the 2nd century "(Guide to the liturgy, Tver, 1886, p. 344)

Saint Demetrius of Rostov discusses the same thing: “The Greek image, called“ Tav ”, which the Angel of the Lord made "Sign on the forehead"(Ezek. 9: 4) The prophet Ezekiel saw God's people in Jerusalem, for limitation from the impending murder, in the revelation. (...)

If we apply to this image above the title of Christ in this way, we will immediately see the four-pointed cross of Christ. Consequently, there Ezekil saw the prototype of the four-pointed cross ”(Search, M., 1855, book 2, ch. 24, p. 458).

The same is affirmed by Tertullian: "The Greek letter Tav and our Latin T constitute the real form of the cross, which, according to the prophecy, will have to be depicted on our foreheads in true Jerusalem."

“If the letter T is in Christian monograms, then this letter is located in such a way as to appear more clearly in front of all others, since T was considered not only a symbol, but even the very image of the cross. An example of such a monogram is found on a sarcophagus of the 3rd century ”(Gr. Uvarov, p. 81). According to Church Tradition, Saint Anthony the Great wore a Tau cross on his clothes. Or, for example, Saint Zeno, bishop of the city of Verona, put a cross in the shape of T. on the roof of the basilica erected by him in 362.

Cross "Egyptian hieroglyph Ankh"

Jesus Christ - the Conqueror of death - announced through the mouth of the king the prophet Solomon: "Who found Me, he found life"(Prov. 8:35), and after His incarnation he echoed: "I am the resurrection and the life"(John 11:25). Already from the first centuries of Christianity, the Egyptian hieroglyph "anch", denoting the concept of "life", was used to symbolize the life-giving cross, reminiscent of it in form.

Cross "letter"

And other letters (from different languages) given below were also used by the early Christians as symbols of the cross. This image of the cross did not scare away the pagans, being familiar to them. “And indeed, as can be seen from the inscriptions of the Sinai, - says Count AS Uvarov, - the letter was taken for a symbol and for a real image of the cross” (Christian symbolism, part 1, p. 81). In the first centuries of Christianity, of course, it was not the artistic side of the symbolic image that was important, but the convenience of its application to the veiled concept.

Anchor cross

Initially, archaeologists came across this symbol on the Thessalonian inscription of the 3rd century, in Rome - in 230, and in Gaul - in 474. And from the “Christian Symbolism” we learn that “in the caves of the Pretextatus there were found slabs without any inscriptions, with one image of an“ anchor ”” (Gr. Uvarov, p. 114).

In his Epistle, the Apostle Paul teaches that Christians have the opportunity "Take up the present hope(i.e. Cross), which for the soul is like a safe and strong anchor "(Heb. 6: 18-19). This, according to the word of the Apostle, "anchor", symbolically covering the cross from the reproach of the infidels, and revealing to the faithful its true meaning, as deliverance from the consequences of sin, is our strong hope.

The church ship, figuratively speaking, through the waves of stormy temporary life, delivers everyone to the quiet haven of eternal life. Therefore, the “anchor”, being cruciform, became among Christians a symbol of hope for the strongest fruit of the Cross of Christ - the Kingdom of Heaven, although the Greeks and Romans, also using this sign, learned to it the meaning of “strength” only for earthly affairs.

Monogram cross "pre-Constantine"

A well-known specialist in liturgical theology, Archimandrite Gabriel, writes that “in the monogram inscribed on a tombstone (III century) and having the shape of the St. ...
This monogram was composed of the Greek initial letters of the name of Jesus Christ, by cross-aligning them: namely the letter "1" (iot) and the letter "X" (chi).

This monogram is often found in the post-Constantine period; for example, we can see her image in mosaic execution on the vaults of the Archbishop chapel of the late 5th century in Ravenna.

Cross-monogram "shepherd's staff"

Representing Christ the Shepherd, the Lord communicated miraculous power to the staff of Moses (Ex. 4: 2-5) as a sign of pastoral authority over the verbal sheep of the Old Testament church, and then to the staff of Aaron (Ex. 2: 8-10). The Divine Father, through the mouth of the prophet Micah, says to the Only Begotten Son: "Feed Thy people with Thy rod, the sheep of Thy inheritance"(Micah 7:14). "I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep"(John 10:11) - the beloved Son answers the Heavenly Father.

Count AS Uvarov, describing the finds of the Catacomb period, reported that: “A clay lamp found in Roman caves shows us very clearly how a bent staff was drawn instead of the entire symbol of the shepherd. On the lower part of this lamp, the staff is depicted crossing the letter X, the first letter of the name of Christ, which together forms the monogram of the Savior ”(Christ. Symb. P. 184).

At first, the shape of the Egyptian rod was similar to a shepherd's staff, the upper part of which was bent downward. All the bishops of Byzantium were awarded the "shepherd's staff" only from the hands of the emperors, and in the 17th century, all Russian patriarchs received their first bishop's rod from the hands of the reigning autocrats.

Cross "Burgundy", or "Andreevsky"

The Holy Martyr Justin the Philosopher, explaining the question of how the cross-shaped symbols became known to the pagans even before the Nativity of Christ, asserted: “What Plato in Timaeus says (...) about the Son of God (...) that God placed Him in the universe like a letter X, he also borrowed from Moses !. For in the Moses scriptures it is said that (...) Moses, by the inspiration and action of God, took copper and made the image of the cross (...) and said to the people: if you look at this image and believe, you will be saved through it (Num. 21: 8) ( John 3:14). (...) Plato read this and, not knowing for sure and not realizing that it was the image of a (vertical) cross, but seeing only the figure of the letter X, he said that the force closest to the first God was in the universe like the letter X "(Apology 1, § 60).

The letter "X" of the Greek alphabet has served as the basis for monogram symbols since the 2nd century, and not only because it hid the name of Christ; after all, as you know, “ancient writers find the shape of a cross in the letter X, which is called Andreevsky, because, according to legend, the Apostle Andrew ended his life on such a cross,” wrote Archimandrite Gabriel (Rukov, p. 345).

Around 1700, God's anointed Peter the Great, wishing to express the religious difference between Orthodox Russia and the heretical West, placed the image of St. Andrew's Cross on the State Emblem, on his hand seal, on the naval flag, etc. His own handwritten explanation says that: "the cross of St. Andrew (accepted) for the sake of the fact that from this Apostle Russia received holy baptism."

Cross "monogram of Constantine"

To the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Tsar Constantine “Christ the Son of God did not appear with the sign seen in heaven and commanded, having made a banner similar to the one seen in heaven, to use it to protect against the attack of enemies,” says the church historian Eusebius Pamphilus in his “Book of the first about the life of the blessed Tsar Constantine "(Ch. 29). “We happened to see this banner with our own eyes,” continues Eusebius (Ch. 30). - It had the following appearance: on a long, gold-covered spear there was a transverse yard, forming a cross with the spear (...), and on it the symbol of the salutary name: two letters showed the name of Christ (...), from the middle of which the letter "P" emerged. The Tsar later had the custom to wear these letters on his helmet ”(Ch. 31).

“The combination of (combined) letters, known as the monogram of Constantine, made up of the first two letters of the word Christ -“ Chi ”and“ Ro, ”writes the liturgist Archimandrite Gabriel,“ this Constantine monogram is found on the coins of Emperor Constantine ”(p. 344) ...

As you know, this monogram has become quite widespread: it was struck for the first time on the famous bronze coin of the emperor Trajan Decius (249 -251) in the Lydian city of Meonia; was depicted on a vessel in 397; it was carved on tombstones of the first five centuries, or, for example, was depicted in fresco on plaster in the caves of St. Sixtus (Gr. Uvarov, p. 85).

Monogram cross "post-Constantine"

“Sometimes the letter T,” writes Archimandrite Gabriel, “is found in conjunction with the letter P, which can be seen in the tomb of St. Callistus in the epitaph” (p. 344). This monogram is also found on the Greek slabs found in the city of Megara and on the gravestones of the cemetery of St. Matthew in Tire.

In words "Behold, your King"(John 19:14) Pilate first of all pointed to the noble origin of Jesus from the royal dynasty of David, in contrast to the rootless self-appointed quarter-rulers, and this idea was expressed in writing "Over his head"(Matt. 27:37), which, of course, provoked the discontent of the power-hungry high priests, who stole the power over the people of God from the kings. And that is why the Apostles, preaching the Resurrection of the crucified Christ and openly “honoring, - as can be seen from the Acts of the Apostles, - the king of Jesus” (Acts 17; 7), suffered from the clergy through the deceived people strong persecution.

The Greek letter "R" (ro) - the first in the word in Latin "Pax", in Roman "Rex", in Russian Tsar, - symbolizing the King Jesus, is located above the letter "T" (tav), meaning His cross; and together they recall the words from the Apostolic gospel that all our strength and wisdom is in the Crucified King (1 Cor. 1:23 - 24).

Thus, “and this monogram, according to the interpretation of St. Justin, served as a sign of the Cross of Christ (...), received such an extensive meaning in symbolism only after the first monogram. (...) In Rome (...) it became common not before 355, and in Gaul - not before the 5th century ”(Gr. Uvarov, p. 77).

Monogram cross "sun-shaped"

Already on the coins of the 4th century there is a monogram "I" of Jesus "ХР" "sun-shaped", “For the Lord God,- as the Holy Scripture teaches, - there is a sun "(Ps. 84:12).

The most famous, "Constantine", "the monogram underwent some changes: a line or letter" I "was added, crossing the monogram across" (Archim. Gabriel, p. 344).

This "sun-shaped" cross symbolizes the fulfillment of the prophecy about the all-enlightening and all-conquering power of the Cross of Christ: “But for you, who are in awe of My name, the Sun of righteousness and healing in His rays will rise,- announced by the Holy Spirit the prophet Malachi, - and you will trample the wicked; for they will be dust under the soles of your feet " (4:2-3).

Monogram cross "trident"

When the Savior passed near the Sea of Galilee, He saw fishermen casting their nets into the water, His future disciples. "And he saith to them, follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men."(Matthew 4:19). And later, sitting by the sea, He taught the people with His parables: "Like the Kingdom of Heaven is a net cast into the sea and captures all kinds of fish"(Matthew 13:47). “Having recognized the symbolic meaning of the Kingdom of Heaven in fishing gear,” says the “Christian Symbolism”, “we can assume that all formulas referring to the same concept were iconically expressed by these common symbols. To the same shells one should include the trident with which they caught fish, as they now catch with hooks ”(Gr. Uvarov, 147).

Thus, the trident monogram of Christ has long meant participation in the Sacrament of Baptism, as a trap in the network of God's Kingdom. For example, on the ancient monument of the sculptor Eutropius, an inscription is carved about his acceptance of baptism and ends with a trident monogram (Gr. Uvarov, p. 99).

Monogram cross "Konstantinovsky"

From church archeology and history it is known that on the ancient monuments of writing and architecture one often encounters a variant of combining the letters "Chi" and "Ro" in the monogram of the Holy Tsar Constantine, God's chosen successor of Christ the Lord on the throne of David.

Only from the 4th century on, the constantly depicted cross began to free itself from the monogram shell, to lose its symbolic coloring, approaching its real form, resembling either the letter "I" or the letter "X".

These changes in the image of the cross occurred due to the emergence of Christian statehood, based on its open veneration and glorification.

Round "freebies" cross

According to the ancient custom, as Horace and Martial testify, Christians cut baked bread crosswise to make it easier to break it. But long before Jesus Christ, this was a symbolic transformation in the East: the incised cross, dividing the whole into parts, unites those who used them, heals separation.

Such round loaves are depicted, for example, on the inscription of Sintrophion divided into four parts by a cross, and on the tombstone from the cave of St. Lukina, divided into six parts by a monogram of the 3rd century.

In direct connection with the Sacrament of Communion at chalice, felonies and other things, they depicted bread as a symbol of the Body of Christ, broken for our sins.

The very same circle before the Nativity of Christ was portrayed as the still unpersonalized idea of immortality and eternity. Now, by faith, we understand that "the Son of God Himself is an endless circle," according to the word of St. Clement of Alexandria, "in which all forces converge." .

Catacomb cross, or "sign of victory"

“In the catacombs and in general on ancient monuments, four-pointed crosses are incomparably more common than any other form,” notes Archimandrite Gabriel. This image of the cross has become especially important for Christians since God Himself showed the sign of the four-pointed cross in heaven ”(Lev. P. 345).

How all this happened is described in detail by the famous historian Eusebius Pamphalus in his "Book of the first about the life of the blessed Tsar Constantine."

“Once, in the midday hours of the day, when the sun had already begun to lean towards the west,” said the Tsar, “I saw with my own eyes the sign of the cross, made up of light and lying in the sun, with the inscription“ By this, conquer! ” This sight seized with horror both himself and the entire army that followed him and continued to contemplate the miracle that had appeared (Ch. 28).

It was on the 28th day of October 312, when Constantine marched with an army against Maxentius, who was imprisoned in Rome. This miraculous phenomenon of the cross in broad daylight has been attested by many modern writers from eyewitnesses.

Especially important is the testimony of the confessor Artemy before Julian the Apostate, to whom, during interrogation, Artemy said:

“Christ from above called Constantine when he waged war against Maxentius, showing him at noon the sign of the cross, radiantly shining over the sun and star-shaped Roman letters, predicting his victory in the war. When we ourselves were there, we saw His sign and read the letters, saw Him and the whole army: there are many witnesses to this in your army, if only you want to ask them ”(Ch. 29).

“By the power of God, the holy Emperor Constantine won a brilliant victory over the tyrant Maxentius, who committed wicked and villainous deeds in Rome” (Ch. 39).

Thus, the cross, which was formerly among the pagans an instrument of shameful execution, became under Emperor Constantine a great sign of victory - the triumph of Christianity over paganism and the subject of the deepest veneration.

For example, according to the novellas of the holy Emperor Justinian, such crosses were to be placed on contracts and meant a signature “worthy of all trust” (Book 73, Ch. 8). The deeds (decisions) of the Councils were also fastened with the image of the cross. One of the imperial decrees says: "We command every conciliar act, which is approved by the sign of the Holy Cross of Christ, so we keep it and so it be as it is."

In general, this shape of the cross is most often used in ornaments.

for decorating temples, icons, priestly vestments and other church utensils.

Cross in Russia "patriarchal", or in the West "Lorensky"

The fact proving the use of the so-called "patriarchal cross" since the middle of the last millennium is confirmed by numerous data from the field of church archeology. This is the shape of the six-pointed cross that was depicted on the seal of the governor of the Byzantine Emperor in the city of Korsun.

The same type of cross was widespread in the West under the name "Lauren".
For an example from the Russian tradition, let us point out at least the large copper cross of the Monk Abraham of Rostov of the 18th century, kept in the Museum of Old Russian Art named after Andrei Rublev, cast according to iconographic samples of the 11th century.

Four-pointed cross, or Latin "immissa"

The textbook “The Temple of God and Church Services” states that “a strong motivation for honoring the direct image of the cross, and not the monogrammed one, was the acquisition of the Honest and Life-giving Cross by the mother of the Holy Tsar Constantine, Equal to the Apostles Helen. As the direct image of the cross spreads, it gradually acquires the form of the Crucifixion ”(SP., 1912, p. 46).

In the West, the most common now is the "Immiss" cross, which the schismatics - admirers of imaginary antiquity - scornfully call (for some reason in Polish) "Latin kryzh" or "Roman", which means the Roman cross. These detractors of the four-pointed cross and zealous admirers of osmikonetics, apparently, need to be reminded that, according to the Gospel, the execution of the cross was spread throughout the Empire by the Romans and, of course, was considered Roman.

And not according to the number of trees, not according to the number of ends, the Cross of Christ is revered by us, but according to Christ Himself, with whose holy blood he was stained, St. Demetrius of Rostov denounced schismatic speculation. “And, displaying miraculous power, any cross does not act by itself, but by the power of Christ crucified on it and the invocation of His holy name” (Search, Book 2, Ch. 24).

Accepted by the Ecumenical Church for use, the "Canon to the Honest Cross" - the creation of St. Gregory the Sinaite - glorifies the Divine power of the Cross, containing everything heavenly, earthly and hell: "Honorable Cross, four-pointed power, Apostle splendor" (Song 1), "Behold the four-pointed Cross, have height, depth and breadth ”(canto 4).

Starting from the 3rd century, when similar crosses first appeared in the Roman catacombs, the entire Orthodox East still uses this form of the cross as equal to all others.

Cross "papal"

This form of the cross was most often used in the episcopal and papal divine services of the Roman Church in the 13th-15th centuries and therefore was called the “papal cross”.

To the question about the foot, depicted at right angles to the cross, we will answer with the words of St. Demetrius of Rostov, who said: “I kiss the foot of the cross, if it is oblique, if not oblique, and the custom of cross-makers and cross-writers, as a church, is consistent, I do not dispute, I condescend” (Search, book 2, ch. 24).

Six-pointed cross "Russian Orthodox"

The question of the reason for the drawing of the inclined lower crossbar is quite convincingly explained by the liturgical text of the 9th hour of the service of the Lord's Cross: "Between the two the robber was the measure of the righteous that Thy Cross was found: for the other I will be brought down to hell by the burden of blasphemy, for the other I am relieved from sins to the knowledge of theology."... In other words, both at Calvary for two robbers, and in life for each person, the cross serves as a measure, as it were, the scales of his inner state.

To one robber who is being reduced to hell "The burden of blasphemy", pronounced by him against Christ, he became, as it were, the bar of a balance, bending down under this terrible weight; another robber freed by repentance and the words of the Savior: "Be with me today in paradise"(Luke 23:43), the cross lifts up into the Kingdom of Heaven.
This form of the cross in Russia has been used since ancient times: for example, the worship cross, arranged in 1161 by the Monk Euphrosyne Princess of Polotsk, was six-pointed.

The six-pointed Orthodox cross, along with others, was used in Russian heraldry: for example, on the coat of arms of the Kherson province, as explained in the Russian Coat of Arms (p. 193), a “silver Russian cross” is depicted.

Orthodoxy cross

Eight-pointed - the most consistent with the historically accurate form of the cross, on which Christ was already crucified, as evidenced by Tertullian, St. Irenaeus of Lyons, St. Justin the Philosopher and others. “And when Christ the Lord bore the cross on His shoulders, then the cross was still four-pointed; because there was not yet a title or a foot on it. (...) There was no foot, because Christ had not yet been raised on the cross and the soldiers, not knowing where the feet of Christ would reach, did not attach a foot, having finished this already at Golgotha, "St. Demetrius of Rostov denounced the schismatics (Search, book . 2, ch. 24). There was also no title on the cross before the crucifixion of Christ, because, as the Gospel reports, at first "Crucified him"(John 19:18), and then only “Pilate wrote the inscription and put(by his order) on the cross "(John 19:19). It was at first that they divided by lot "His garments" warriors, "Who crucified him"(Matthew 27:35), and only then "They put over His head an inscription signifying His guilt: This is Jesus, the King of the Jews."(Matthew 27: 3.7).

So, the four-pointed Cross of Christ, carried to Golgotha, which all those who have fallen into the demoniac of schism, call the seal of the Antichrist, is called in the Holy Gospel “His cross” (Matthew 27:32, Mark 15:21, Luke 23:26 , John 19:17), that is, the same as with the tablet and the foot after the crucifixion (John 19:25). In Russia, a cross of this form was used more often than others.

Seven-pointed cross

This form of the cross is quite often found on the icons of northern writing, for example, the Pskov school of the 15th century: the image of St. Paraskeva Pyatnitsa with her life - from the Historical Museum, or the image of St. Demetrius of Thessaloniki - from the Russian; or the Moscow school: "The Crucifixion" by Dionysius - from the Tretyakov Gallery, dated 1500.
We can see the seven-pointed cross on the domes of Russian churches: we cite, for example, the wooden Ilyinsky Church of 1786 in the village of Vazentsy (Holy Russia, St. Petersburg, 1993, ill. 129), or we can see it above the entrance to the Cathedral of the Resurrection New Jerusalem Monastery, built by Patriarch Nikon ...

At one time, theologians heatedly discussed the question of what mystical and dogmatic meaning has the foot as part of the atoning Cross?

The fact is that the Old Testament priesthood received, so to speak, the opportunity to offer sacrifices (as one of the conditions) thanks to "Gold foot, attached to the throne"(Chronicles 9:18), which, as it is today with us - Christians, according to God's ordinance, was sanctified through chrismation: “And anoint them,” said the Lord, “the altar of the burnt offering and all its utensils, (...) and its foot. And sanctify them, and there will be a great shrine: everything that touches them will be sanctified. "(Ex. 30: 26-29).

Thus, the foot of the cross is that part of the New Testament altar, which mystically points to the priestly ministry of the Savior of the world, who voluntarily paid with His death for the sins of others: for the Son of God "He himself bore our sins in his own body on the tree"(1 Pet. 2:24) of the Cross, "Sacrificing Himself"(Heb. 7:27) and thus "Becoming the High Priest forever"(Hebrews 6:20), established in Himself "Permanent priesthood"(Heb. 7:24).

This is what is stated in the "Orthodox Confession of the Eastern Patriarchs": "On the cross He fulfilled the office of Priest, sacrificing Himself to God and the Father for the redemption of the human race" (Moscow, 1900, p. 38).
But let's not confuse the foot of the Holy Cross, which reveals to us one of its mysterious sides, with two other foot from the Holy Scriptures. - explains St. Dmitry Rostovsky.

“David says:“ Exalt the Lord our God, and worship His footstool; holy It "(Psalm 99: 5). And Isaiah on behalf of Christ says: (Is. 60:13), - explains St. Demetrius of Rostov. There is a foot that is commanded to worship, and there is a foot that is not specified to be worshiped. God says in Isaiah's prophecy: "Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool"(Is. 66: 1): this foot - the earth, no one should worship, but only God, its Creator. And it is also written in the psalms: "The Lord (Father) said to my Lord (Son): Sit at my right hand, until I make Thy enemies Thy footstool"(Scripture 109: 1). And this foot of God, the enemies of God, who wants to worship? What kind of foot does David command to worship? " (Search, book 2, ch. 24).

To this question, the very word of God on behalf of the Savior answers: "And when I am lifted up from the earth"(John 12:32) - “from the foot of my feet” (Is. 66: 1), then "I will glorify my footstool"(Isa. 60:13) - "Foot of the altar"(Ex. 30:28) of the New Testament - the Holy Cross, which dethrones, as we confess, Lord, "Thy foes to thy footstool"(Psalm 109: 1) and therefore "Worship the foot(Cross) His; holy It! "(Psalm 99: 5), "The foot, attached to the throne"(2 Chron. 9:18).

Crown of thorns cross

The image of a cross with a crown of thorns has been used for many centuries by different peoples who have adopted Christianity. But instead of numerous examples from the ancient Greco-Roman tradition, we will cite several cases of its use in later times according to the sources that were at hand. The cross with a crown of thorns can be seen on the pages of the ancient Armenian manuscript books the period of the Cilician kingdom (Matenadaran, M., 1991, p. 100); on the icon"Glorification of the Cross" of the 12th century from the Tretyakov Gallery (V. N. Lazarev, Novgorod Iconography, M., 1976, p. 11); on Staritsky copper-cast cross-title of the XIV century; on patron"Golgotha" - the monastic contribution of Queen Anastasia Romanova in 1557; on silver platter XVI century (Novodevichy Convent, M., 1968, ill. 37), etc.

God told Adam sinning that “Cursed is the land for you. She will grow thorns and thistles for you "(Genesis 3: 17-18). And the new sinless Adam - Jesus Christ - voluntarily took upon himself the sins of others, and death as a consequence of them, and the thorny sufferings leading to her along the thorny path.

Christ's Apostles Matthew (27:29), Mark (15:17) and John (19: 2) narrate that "The soldiers plaited a crown of thorns and put it on His head", "And by His stripes we are healed"(Is. 53: 5). From this it is clear why the wreath has since symbolized victory and reward, starting with the books of the New Testament: "Crown of truth"(2 Tim. 4: 8), "Crown of glory"(1 Pet. 5: 4), "Crown of life"(James 1:12 and Apoc. 2:10).

Cross "gallows"

This form of the cross is very widely used to decorate churches, liturgical items, holy vestments, and in particular, as we see, the bishop's omophores on the icons of the “three ecumenical teachers”.

“If someone tells you, do you worship the Crucified? You answer in a bright voice and with a cheerful face: I worship and I will not stop worshiping. If he laughs, you shed tears over him, because he is raging, ”teaches us, the ecumenical teacher Saint John Chrysostom himself adorned with this cross on images (Conversation 54, on Matthew).

A cross of any shape has unearthly beauty and life-giving power, and everyone who cognizes this wisdom of God exclaims with the Apostle: "I am (…) I wish to boast (…) only by the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ "(Gal. 6:14)!

Cross "vine"

I am the true vine, and My Father is the grower "(John 15: 1). That is how Jesus Christ called himself, the Head of the Church planted by Him, the only source and guide of spiritual, holy life for all Orthodox believers, who are members of His body.

“I am the vine, and you are the branches; he who abides in Me, and I in him, the same bears much fruit "(John 15: 5). “These words of the Savior Himself laid the foundation for the symbolism of the vine,” wrote Count AS Uvarov in his work “Christian Symbolism”; the main significance of the vine for Christians was in its symbolic connection with the Sacrament of Communion ”(pp. 172 - 173).

Petal cross

The variety of forms of the cross has always been recognized by the Church as quite natural. According to the expression of the Monk Theodore the Studite, "a cross of every form is a true cross." The "petal" cross is very often found in church art, which, for example, is seen on the omophorion of St. Gregory the Wonderworker of the 11th century mosaic of the Cathedral of St. Sophia of Kiev.

“By the variety of sensory signs, we are hierarchically elevated to a uniform union with God,” explains the famous teacher of the Church, St. John of Damascus. From the visible to the invisible, from the temporal to eternity - this is the path of man, led by the Church to God through the comprehension of grace-filled symbols. The history of their diversity is inseparable from the history of the salvation of mankind.

Cross "Greek", or Old Russian "korsunchik"

Traditional for Byzantium and the most frequently and widely used form of the so-called "Greek cross". This same cross, as is known, is considered the most ancient "Russian cross", since, according to the Church's faithfully holy Prince Vladimir, he took out of Korsun, where he was baptized, just such a cross and installed it on the banks of the Dnieper in Kiev. A similar four-pointed cross has survived to this day in the Kiev Sophia Cathedral, carved on the marble board of the tomb of Prince Yaroslav, the son of St. Vladimir Equal of the Apostles.

Often, to indicate the universal meaning of the Cross of Christ as a microuniverse, the cross is depicted inscribed in a circle, symbolizing cosmologically the heavenly sphere.

Cross "nakupolny" with a crescent

It is not surprising that the question of a cross with a crescent moon is often asked, since the "nakupolniki" are located in the most conspicuous place of the temple. For example, such crosses are used to decorate the domes of the Cathedral of St. Sophia of Vologda, built in 1570.

Typical for the pre-Mongol period, this form of a domed cross is often found in the Pskov region, such as on the dome of the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin in the village of Meletovo, erected in 1461.

In general, the symbolism of an Orthodox church is inexplicable from the point of view of aesthetic (and therefore static) perception, but, on the contrary, it is fully disclosed for comprehension precisely in the liturgical dynamics, since almost all elements of temple symbolism, in different places of worship, assimilate different meanings.

“And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun,- it says in the Revelation of John the Theologian, - the moon is under her feet "(Apoc. 12; 1), and patristic wisdom explains: this moon marks the font in which the Church, baptized into Christ, is clothed in Him, in the Sun of righteousness. The crescent moon is also the cradle of Bethlehem, which received the Infant Christ of God; the crescent is the Eucharistic cup in which the Body of Christ is located; the crescent is a church ship, led by the Feedman Christ; the crescent moon is also the anchor of hope, the gift of Christ on the cross; the crescent moon is also an ancient serpent trampled under the Cross and placed as an enemy of God under the feet of Christ.

Trefoil cross

In Russia, this form of the cross is used more often than others for the manufacture of altar crosses. But, however, we can see it on state symbols. "The golden Russian trefoil cross, standing on an overturned silver crescent", as reported in the "Russian coat of arms", was depicted on the coat of arms of the Tiflis province.

The golden "trefoil" (Fig. 39) is also found on the coat of arms of the Orenburg province, on the coat of arms of the city of Troitsk in the Penza province, the city of Akhtyrka in Kharkov and the city of Spassk in the Tambov province, on the coat of arms of the provincial city of Chernigov, etc.

Cross "Maltese", or "St. George"

Patriarch Jacob prophetically honored the Cross when “Bowed down by faith,- as the Apostle Paul says, - on top of your rod "(Hebrews 11.21), “a rod,” explains St. John of Damascus, “serving as an image of the cross” (On holy icons, 3 a.). That is why today there is a cross over the handle of the bishop's staff, "for by the cross we," writes St. Simeon of Thessaloniki, "are guided and grazed, we are imprinted, we raise children and, having killed our passions, are drawn to Christ" (Ch. 80).

In addition to the usual and widespread church use, this form of the cross, for example, was officially adopted by the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, which was formed on the island of Malta and openly fought against Freemasonry, which, as you know, organized the assassination of the Russian Emperor Pavel Petrovich, the patron saint of the Maltese. This is how the name appeared - "Maltese cross".

According to Russian heraldry, some cities had golden "Maltese" crosses on their emblems, for example: Zolotonosha, Mirgorod and Zenkov of the Poltava province; Pogar, Bonza and Konotop of the Chernigov province; Kovel Volynskoy,

Perm and Elizavetpolskaya provinces and others. Pavlovsk St. Petersburg, Vindava Kurland, Belozersk Novgorod provinces,

Perm and Elizavetpolskaya provinces and others.

All those who were awarded the crosses of St. George the Victorious of all four degrees were called, as you know, "Cavaliers of St. George."

Cross "prosphora-konstantinovsky"

For the first time, these words in Greek “IC.XP.NIKA”, which means “Jesus Christ - the Victor”, were written in gold on three large crosses in Constantinople by the Equal-to-the-Apostles Emperor Constantine himself.

"To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with me on my throne, just as I also overcame, and sat down with my Father on his throne."(Apoc. 3:21), - says the Savior, the Conqueror of hell and death.

According to ancient tradition, an image of a cross is printed on prosphora with the addition of words meaning this victory on the cross of Christ: "IS.HS.NIKA". This "prosphora" seal signifies the ransom of sinners from sinful captivity, or, in other words, the great price of our Atonement.

Old printed cross "braided"

“This weaving was obtained from ancient Christian art,” Professor V. N. Schepkin authoritatively reports, “where it is known in carving and mosaics. Byzantine weaving, in turn, passes to the Slavs, among whom it was especially widespread in the ancient era in Glagolic manuscripts ”(Textbook of Russian Paleography, M., 1920, p. 51).

Most often, images of "wicker" crosses are found as decorations in Bulgarian and Russian old printed books.

Four-pointed "drop-shaped" cross

Having sprinkled the tree of the cross, drops of the Blood of Christ have forever imparted His power to the cross.

The Greek Gospel of the 2nd century from the State Public Library opens with a sheet with the image of a beautiful “drop-shaped” four-pointed cross (Byzantine miniature, M., 1977, tab. 30).

And also, for example, let us recall that among the copper pectoral crosses cast in the first centuries of the second millennium, as you know, there are often "drop-shaped" encolpions ( in Greek- "on the chest").
Christ first "Drops of blood falling to the ground"(Luke 22:44), became a lesson in the fight against sin even "till blood"(Heb. 12: 4); when on the cross of Him "Blood and water have run out"(John 19:34), then by example they were taught to fight evil even to death.

"His(To the Savior) who loved us and washed us from our sins in His blood "(Apoc. 1: 5), who saved us "by the blood of his cross" (Colossians 1:20) - Glory forever!

Cross "crucifixion"

One of the first images of the crucified Jesus Christ that has come down to us refers only to the 5th century, on the doors of the Church of St. Sabina in Rome. From the 5th century, the Savior began to be depicted in a long garment of a collobia - as if leaning against a cross. It is this image of Christ that can be seen on the early bronze and silver crosses of Byzantine and Syrian origin of the 7th-9th centuries.

Saint Anastasius the Sinaite of the 6th century wrote an apologetic ( in Greek- "defense") the composition "Against the Acephalus" - a heretical sect that denies the union of two natures in Christ. To this work, he attached the image of the crucifixion of the Savior as an argument against Monophysitism. He invites the scribes of his work, along with the text, to transmit inviolably the image attached to it, as, incidentally, we can see on the manuscript of the Vienna Library.

Another, even more ancient of the surviving images of the crucifixion, is found on the miniature of the Gospel of Rabbula from the Zagba monastery. This 586 manuscript belongs to the St. Lawrence Library of Florence.

Until the 9th century, inclusively, Christ was depicted on the cross not only alive, resurrected, but also triumphant, and only in the 10th century did images of the dead Christ appear (Fig. 54).

Since ancient times, crucifix-crosses, both in the East and in the West, had a crossbar for resting the feet of the Crucified, and His legs were depicted as nailed each separately by its own nail. The image of Christ with crossed feet, nailed by one nail, first appeared as an innovation in the West in the second half of the 13th century.

On the cruciform nimbus of the Savior, the Greek letters UN were necessarily written, meaning - "truly I am", because "God said to Moses: I am who I am"(Ex. 3:14), thus revealing His name, which expresses the identity, eternity and immutability of the essence of God.

The Orthodox dogma of the Cross (or Atonement) undoubtedly implies the idea that the death of the Lord is the ransom of all, the calling of all peoples. Only the cross, unlike other executions, made it possible for Jesus Christ to die with outstretched hands calling "All ends of the earth"(Isa. 45:22).

Therefore, in the tradition of Orthodoxy, it is to depict the Savior Almighty precisely as the already Risen Crusader, holding and calling into His arms the entire universe and bearing on Himself the New Testament altar - the Cross. The prophet Jeremiah spoke about this on behalf of the Christ-haters: "Let us put the tree in His bread"(11:19), that is, we will impose the tree of the cross on the body of Christ, called the bread of heaven (St. Demetrius Rost. Cit. Cit.).

And the traditionally Catholic image of the crucifixion, with Christ hanging in his arms, on the contrary, has the task of showing how it all happened, depicting dying suffering and death, and not at all what is essentially the eternal Fruit of the Cross - His triumph.

The schematic cross, or "Golgotha"

Inscriptions and cryptograms on Russian crosses have always been much more diverse than on Greek ones.
From the 11th century, under the lower oblique crossbar of the eight-pointed cross, a symbolic image of the head of Adam, buried according to legend at Calvary ( in Heb.- "place of execution"), where Christ was crucified. These words of his clarify the tradition that developed in Russia by the 16th century to produce the following designations near the image of "Golgotha": "M.L.R.B." - the frontal place was crucified byst, "G.G." - Mount Golgotha, "G.A." - the head of Adamov; moreover, the bones of the hands lying in front of the head are depicted: right on left, as in burial or communion.

The letters "K" and "T" stand for a warrior's spear and a cane with a sponge, depicted along the cross.

Above the middle crossbar there are inscriptions: "IC" "XC" - the name of Jesus Christ; and below it: "NIKA" - the Winner; on or near the title there is an inscription: "СНЪ" "БЖИЙ" - the Son of God sometimes - but more often not "I.N.TS.I" - Jesus of Nazareth the King of the Jews; the inscription above the title: "ЦРЪ" "SLVY" - the King of Glory.

Such crosses are supposed to be embroidered on the vestments of the great and angelic schema; three crosses on the paramana and five on the corn: on the forehead, on the chest, on both shoulders and on the back.

The cross "Calvary" is also depicted on the burial shroud, which signifies the preservation of the vows given at baptism, like the white shroud of the newly baptized, meaning cleansing from sin. At the consecration of temples and houses depicted on the four walls of the building.

Unlike the image of the cross, which directly depicts the Crucified Christ Himself, the sign of the cross conveys its spiritual meaning, depicts its real meaning, but does not reveal the Cross itself.

“The cross is the guardian of the entire universe. The Cross is the beauty of the Church, the Cross of Kings is the state, the Cross is affirmed to the faithful, the Cross is an angel of glory, the Cross is an ulcer like a demon, "- affirms the absolute Truth of the luminaries of the feast of the Exaltation of the Life-Giving Cross.

Card cross "shamrock", a spear, a sponge and a nail

The motives for the outrageous desecration and blasphemy of the Holy Cross by conscientious cross-haters and crucifixes are quite understandable. But when we see Christians involved in this heinous affair, it is all the more impossible to be silent, for - according to the word of Saint Basil the Great - “God is given over to silence”!

The so-called "playing cards", which are, unfortunately, in many homes, are an instrument of disunity, through which a person certainly comes into contact with demons - the enemies of God. All four card suits mean nothing more than the cross of Christ together with other sacred objects equally revered by Christians: a spear, a sponge and nails, that is, everything that was the instruments of suffering and death of the Divine Redeemer.

And out of ignorance, many people, turning "into a fool", allow themselves to blaspheme the Lord, taking, for example, a card with the image of the "trefoil" cross, that is, the cross of Christ, which half the world worships, and throwing it casually with words (forgive me, Lord !) "Club", which in Yiddish means "bad" or "evil"! And not only that, these daredevils, overplaying suicide, essentially believe that this cross is “beaten” by some lousy “trump six”, not knowing at all that “trump card” and “kosher” are written, for example, Latin, the same.

It would be high time to clarify the true rules of all gambling games, in which everyone who plays is "a fool": they consist in the fact that ritual sacrifices, in Hebrew called by the Talmudists "kosher" (that is, "clean"), supposedly have power over With the Life-giving Cross!

If you know that playing cards cannot be used for other purposes, except for profaning Christian shrines for the delight of demons, then the role of cards in "fortune-telling" - these nasty searches of demonic revelations, will become perfectly clear. Is it necessary in this connection to prove that everyone who touches a deck of cards and who has not brought sincere repentance in confession of the sins of blasphemy and blasphemy has a guaranteed residence permit in hell?

So, if "clubs" are the blasphemy of raging gamblers against specially depicted crosses, which they also call "crosses", then what do they mean - "blame", "worms" and "tambourines"? We will not bother translating these curses into Russian, since we do not have a Yiddish textbook; it is better to open the New Testament for the shedding of the Light of God unbearable for them on the demonic tribe.

Saint Ignatius Brianchaninov edifies in the imperative mood: "get acquainted with the spirit of the times, study it in order to avoid its influence as much as possible."

The suit of cards "blame", or otherwise "spades", blasphemes the Gospel lance, then As the Lord predicted about His perforation, through the mouth of the prophet Zechariah, that "They will look to the one who was pierced"(12:10), and so it happened: "One of the warriors(Longinus) pierced His ribs with a spear "(John 19:34).

The card suit "worms" blasphemes the gospel sponge on a cane. As Christ warned of His poisoning, through the lips of the King the Prophet David, that the soldiers "They gave Me gall for food, and in My thirst they gave Me vinegar to drink."(Psalm 68:22), so it came true: "One of them took a sponge, gave it vinegar to drink and, putting it on a cane, gave Him to drink"(Matt. 27:48).

The card suit "tambourines" blasphemes the Gospel forged tetrahedral serrated nails, with which the hands and feet of the Savior were nailed to the tree of the Cross. As the Lord prophesied about his carnation, through the mouth of the psalmist David, that "They pierced My hands and My feet"(Ps. 22:17), so it came true: The Apostle Thomas, who said "If I do not see His wounds from nails in His hands, and I will not put my finger in His nails, and I will not put my hand in His ribs, I will not believe"(John 20:25), "I believed because I saw"(John 20:29); and the Apostle Peter, addressing his fellow tribesmen, testified: “Men of Israel!- he said, - Jesus of Nazareth (…) you took and nailing(to the cross) by hand(Romans) the wicked were killed; but God raised him up "(Acts 2:22, 24).

Crucified with Christ, the unrepentant robber, like today's gamblers, blasphemed the sufferings of the Son of God on the Cross and, out of intention, out of repentance, went forever to hell; but the prudent thief, setting an example for everyone, repented on the cross and thereby inherited eternal life with God. Therefore, let us firmly remember that for us, Christians, there can be no other object of hopes and hopes, no other support in life, no other banner that unites and inspires us, except for the only saving sign of the invincible Cross of the Lord!

Gamma cross

This cross is called "gammatic" because it consists of the Greek letter "gamma". Already the first Christians in the Roman catacombs depicted a gamma cross. In Byzantium, this form was often used to decorate the Gospels, church utensils, temples, and was embroidered on the vestments of Byzantine saints. In the 9th century, by order of Empress Theodora, a Gospel was made, decorated with gold ornamentation from gamma crosses.

The gamma cross is very similar to the ancient Indian swastika sign. The Sanskrit word swastika or su-asti-ka means supreme being or perfect bliss. This is an ancient solar, that is, associated with the sun, a symbol that appears already in the Upper Paleolithic era, becomes widespread in the cultures of the Aryans, ancient Iranians, and is found in Egypt and China. Of course, the swastika was known and revered in many areas of the Roman Empire during the era of the spread of Christianity. The ancient pagan Slavs were also familiar with this symbol; images of the swastika are found on rings, temple rings and other ornaments, as a sign of the sun or fire, notes Priest Mikhail Vorobyov. The Christian Church, possessing a powerful spiritual potential, was able to rethink and church many cultural traditions of pagan antiquity: from ancient philosophy to everyday rituals. Perhaps the gamma cross entered Christian culture as a church-going swastika.

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syphilis, please advise. and got the best answer

Answer from Christina Radchenko [guru]
Four crosses do not denote the stage of the disease, but a sharply positive Wasserman reaction. This can be either the first or the second stage of syphilis (A positive reaction is characteristic at the end of the first stage and the entire second stage of syphilis. At the third stage of syphilis, there is no "sharply positive" reaction)
Syphilis is completely curable in the first stage. When therapy is started late, in most cases, the process can be stabilized ("muffled"), but not completely cured. If you start treating syphilis at the first stage, you can be cured in 2-3 months, but later stages of the disease may require 1.5-3 years of therapy. Treatment is prescribed individually
With secondary syphilis, you will have to undergo several courses of treatment (from 2 to 7-8 courses with interruptions). Treatment with antibiotics (bicillin-3 or bicillin-5, ceftriaxone- (10-14 injections. systems, local treatment.In secondary syphilis, you need to consult a neuropathologist (you will need to do magnetic resonance imaging to exclude syphilitic damage to the brain), an ophthalmologist and an immunologist (to maintain the immune system). at dermatovenerologic dispensaries there are paid anonymous offices. In case of secondary syphilis, the optimal form of treatment is a day hospital. In no case do not seek treatment in private sharashki. After private sharashki, no venereologist will take you for treatment. With the exception of professors who take a lot of money for their services)
5 years after the recovery from secondary syphilis, it is impossible to plan the birth of children, since the child may have congenital syphilis (Untreated syphilis is transmitted to descendants and leads to physical deformities and mental impairments)
A positive reaction to antibodies to "pale treponema" in patients with syphilis remains in patients for a long time and disappears 2-3 years after cure; in some, a weakly positive reaction persists throughout their lives, despite a complete cure. It is impossible to remove a positive reaction to antibodies from the blood.
Throughout his life, a person who has had syphilis cannot be a donor. His blood cannot be transfused to another person.
You must have separate dishes, separate bed linen, washcloths, towels. For more information on precautionary methods (how not to infect your loved ones), ask your treating dermatovenerologist

Answer from 2 answers[guru]

Hey! Here is a selection of topics with answers to your question: syphilis, please advise.

How to spoke a wheel with 48 spokes and 4 crosses? preferably a video, searched the internet, did not find anything, the maximum is like three.
A 48-spoke wheel is usually assembled in 5 crosses, a 40-spoke wheel - 4 crosses, a 36-spoke wheel - 4 or 3

Syphilis is an infectious disease that can be contracted through sexual contact. The causative agent of the disease is a bacterium such as pale treponema (spirochete), which affects the internal organs, mucous membranes and skin.

To identify the disease, blood tests are used, and in some cases, cerebrospinal fluid. The results are indicated by pluses or crosses of 1 to 4 are used.

Syphilis four crosses is considered the most dangerous stage for humans. The interpretation of the analyzes and the diagnosis is determined exclusively by the doctor.

Four stages of the disease and their characteristics

Determination of a sexually transmitted disease is carried out by studying the blood for the presence of treponema.

This method of recognizing syphilis using a serological test is the most common of many tests.

The immunologist has created a special system for characterizing the disease, in which crosses indicate the amount of antibodies. It is important to know that the disease itself does not contain them, but treponemas, ulcers, and a syphilitic rash are present.

An increase in the antibody titer indicates the active reproduction of the pathogen, and crosses are contained in any analysis with a positive assessment of the presence of antibodies. Consider the stages of the disease and their features.

Syphilis one cross

If there are crosses, syphilis is positive, however, there are doubts even when observing antibodies in the blood to fight the disease.

Therefore, doctors call this test result dubious. Often, a test result can indicate another medical condition.

A result of 1+ means that little time has passed since the infection stage. The plus may be present after full treatment, when antibodies have been preserved.

Syphilis two crosses

Two crosses mean a positive result, which indicates the presence of treponema in the blood.

An increase in titer indicates a low concentration in the blood. So, you need to examine the bacterium to approve the 2 plus conclusion before starting therapy.

Syphilis three crosses

A blood test with a score of three crosses indicates a positive result and cannot be refuted. A repeated study of the blood only confirms the diagnosis of the 3rd cross, which is characteristic of the disease at the II stage of development.

Syphilis four crosses

The most unfavorable conclusion is the result of the 4th cross. But this does not mean at all that the disease cannot be cured.

This stage is characterized by a noticeable rash, hair loss, and an increase in body temperature. The number of antibodies is at a high level, so the conclusion is beyond doubt.

How is the examination carried out?

The recognition of syphilis is carried out in two stages, starting with the examination of the patient, and ending with the study of blood for antibodies.

The doctor examines the patient, while already determining the likelihood of the presence of the disease:

detection of ulcers on the genitals or in the oral cavity;
dermatological rashes, indurations;
baldness in the head area.

The doctor clarifies the information from the patient, based on questions about the presence of suspicious intercourse or the treatment of a venereal disease.

Laboratory examinations

Today, a study to identify the disease of syphilis 4 of the cross can be passed in many ways, the most famous are presented below:

RPR - a test that detects antibodies in the blood to the phospholipids of the cytoplasmic membrane;
RIF (immunofluorescence reaction) is a more sensitive reaction, since it shows a result with a positive assessment already at the first stage in 80% of patients;
RW (the method of the German immunologist Wasserman) is a fast and reliable research method that allows you to carry out an examination and prescribe effective pharmaceuticals;
enzyme immunoassay of blood;
the reaction is based on the phenomenon of immobilization of bacteria by antibodies such as immobilizins;
passive hemagglutination shows the presence and amount of antibodies.

Today, syphilis can be treated at any stage. But it is much easier to tolerate treatment at the first manifestations of the disease, when the infection has not affected the entire body.

The duration of treatment and medications are prescribed by a venereologist based on the individual characteristics of the human body and the stage of the lesion.

Do not forget that the best prevention of syphilis is a close relationship with a long-term partner in whose health you are completely confident.