Dear Friends!

We congratulate you sincerely on the feast of the Holy Trinity! We wish you peace, goodness, love, health, happiness, and all the best!

On this occasion, we present to your attention unique artifacts from the interior of the Trinity Gate Church of the National Kyiv-Pechersk Historical and Cultural Preserve.

Take a trip to our virtual museum during your coffee or tea break and make your #quarantinediscoveries!

The iconostasis of the Trinity Gate Church is the main focus of the church interior. Its icons were created in the 1730s by painters of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra.

The iconostasis had fifty icons connected by a gilded carving and the symbolism of the theological program. The axis of symmetry of the iconostasis wall is the central “pillar”. Rising into the domed space, it raises a solar disk with the image of a dove. The disk is wrapped in a ribbon, where you can read the words of the solemn hymn: “Glory to the Holy, Of-One-Essence, Life-giving, and Indivisible Trinity”. Actually, the icon of the New Testament Trinity, at first glance, is incomplete: it lacks the image of the Holy Spirit. But the dove in the sun, symbolizing the Holy Spirit, “taking away” from its icon, as if “flew” to the top of the iconostasis. Therefore, the three incarnations of the Holy Trinity are really indivisible. They became the triumphant culmination of the entire iconostasis.

The general theme of the Trinity iconostasis, as well as the subject of the wall painting of the church, is the glorification of the triumphant Church (or Heavenly Church). Developing this theme, the iconostasis brilliantly illuminates its various facets, fills the minds of the faithful with the awareness of Divine wisdom, and the hearts with the trembling delight of involvement in the heavenly beauty.

The temple icon of the Old Testament Trinity is symmetrical to the icon of the Descent of the Holy Spirit (the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles on the day of Pentecost. Filled with the Spirit, they began to preach Christian doctrine in different languages. The Descent symbolizes the birth of the Church itself). Together with these two icons, the New Testament Trinity, an icon at the top of the solar disk, forms a triangle, which is known to symbolize the Trinity.

In addition to the iconostasis wall, traditional for the Orthodox Church, the Trinity Church has another, “reverse” iconostasis. His twenty icons were invisible to the faithful in the church, but during the liturgy at the altar the priest paid attention to their subjects. Therefore, the altar side of the iconostasis is a conceptual echo of its front side. The most interesting were the reversed iconostasis icons dedicated to such sacraments of the Church as chrismation, anointing of sick, priesthood, repentance, marriage, baptism and communion.

• . 1. Old Testament Trinity. Temple icon. Veneration tier.
• . 2. Iconostasis of the Trinity Gate Church. General aspect.
• . 3. The Almighty. Veneration tier.
• . 4. Iconostasis of the Trinity Gate Church. South part. Veneration tier (from left to right): icons of the Old Testament Trinity and St. Anthony of Pechersk; deacon's gate - the Archangel Gabriel icon. Sockle tier (from left to right):  icons of Abraham's Sacrifice and Divine Prophecy to St. Anthony of Pechersk.
• . 5. Iconostasis of the Trinity Gate Church. Upper tier of the northern part. Apostolic tier (from right to left): icons of the Mother of God, Sts. Apostles Matthew, Peter and Andrew the First-Called, Sts. Apostles  Bartholomew, Thomas and Simon the Zealot. Combined Prophetical and Patriarchs tiers (from right to left): icons of St. Archpriest Aaron, Sts. Prophets David and Gideon, St. Prophet Moses, Sts. Prophets Daniel and Ezekiel.
• . 6. The Last Supper. Iconostasis of the Trinity Gate Church. Reverse side. Fig. 7. Abraham's meeting with Melchizedek. Icon from the reverse side of the iconostasis of the Trinity Gate Church.