The Orthodox Church In Russia

Many people in Russia are very religious, and their religion is called Orthodox. The religion is a denomination of Christianity, and people worship in churches and cathedrals. Nearly all of the places of worship in Pushkin and St. Petersburg (and nearly all of Russia) are of Orthodox, and inside them one can find idols, paintings, and mosaics. Idols are pictures of saints, according to Russian Orthodox, often plated in gold. The saints include, for example, Nicolai II and his family, the Bogoroditsye (The Virgin Mary), St. Cyril, and Christ. There are idols standing all over the cathedrals and there are candles standing around the idol or in front of it. It is here where people pray to the idols by lighting a candle in front of the idol. By lighting a candle, there prayer can be put forth.

Different idols mean different things to people. For example, one of the "powers" of the Archangel Michael is that he can control water, rain, and waterfalls. So if there is a flood somewhere, people in that town may pray to him to stop the water. Also, many families often have a family idol, which is the idol that family prays to especially. It often brings a connection to families here. Individuals have many idols they pray to, and there are many different reasons one might pray to a certain idol, and many reasons why someone may pray to so many idols.

Although I am not Christian myself, I do believe that these idols in Russian churches are beautiful. When you walk into a church you are almost overwhelmed by their beauty. Also, the magnificence is often matched by its silence and holiness. It's quite a feeling, and just the religious fervor mkes me want to be more religious, of course in a much different way.

There are many cultural customs one must obey when entering an Orthodox Church. First of all, men cannot cover their heads, and women must cover their heads. This probably dates back to the very patriarchal times of Russia, and in my mind this tradition is quite archaic. However, it must be obeyed or you will be chastised. Second, nearly everything is done in silence, except for gatherings on Sunday and on holidays. It's a very quiet place because people are always worshipping.