Deesis

The deesis. The iconostasis of the chapel of Guria and Samon, the church of Elijah the Prophet, Yaroslavl . The beginning of the XVIII century

Deesis ( Greek δέησις - petition , prayer ), or Deesis - an icon or group of icons that has in the center an image of Christ (most often in the iconography of Pantocrator ), and to the right and to the left of it, respectively - Our Lady and John the Baptist , represented in the traditional prayer gesture intercession ( three-figured deesis ). May include similar images of apostles , holy fathers , martyrs, and others ( multi-figure deesis ). The main dogmatic meaning of the deesis composition is mediator prayer , intercession for the human race in the face of the formidable Heavenly King and Judge. The formation of this iconography was influenced by the liturgy . In the post-martial era, the icon of Deesis was placed on the architrave of the low altar barrier of the Byzantine temple , and then, already on Russian soil, turned into the deesis rank of the high iconostasis .

One of the earliest surviving examples of deesis is a fresco in the Roman church of Santa Maria Antiqua in Rome (VII century) - Jesus Christ is depicted in full growth on it, and John the Baptist has a pointing gesture, not a prayer.

Angelic Deesis - " Savior Emmanuel with the Angels ." Vladimir (?). C. 1190

A self-contained iconographic composition, constructed according to the type of the deesis, is called “The Impressed Queen is at your right hand” or, more briefly, “The Impressed Queen ” is called. In it, Christ sits on the throne in the image of the King of kings , to the right (right) of Him (to the left of the viewer) the Virgin stands in height, dressed in royal clothes, and on the other hand, John the Baptist. In the XII-XIV centuries in the Balkans, the image of Christ the King of kings in the composition “The Queen Is Present” is combined with another iconographic type - “The Great Bishop”.

“ Angelic Deesis ” is the name of an iconographic composition that includes Christ Emanuel and two archangels - Michael and Gabriel . There is a controversial opinion that this composition is a symbolic image of the Trinity .

In the home iconostasis - a set of family prayer icons occupying the red corner of the room - the principles of the temple iconostasis are repeated, however, the image of John the Baptist is often replaced by the icon of St. Nicholas of Myra (the St. Nicholas the Wonderworker), the most revered saint in Russia.