Remains of heaven on earth. Who decorates churches with flowers and how?

Flowers of life

The holy righteous John of Kronstadt called flowers the remnants of paradise on earth. It is quite natural that people have been bringing these wonderful gifts of nature to churches for a long time in order to thus express their admiration for the beauty of God’s creation. However, the experience of temple floristry as a separate area of ​​church decoration in Russia, unlike abroad, dates back only about one and a half to two decades. Without assessing the professional skills of florists and without criticizing individual projects, we will try to understand what guides specialists in their work and warn customers against gross mistakes. Why should there be few roses, but a lot of carnations, how to decorate a chandelier and what almost no floral arrangement can do without?

If you do not take into account the perennials in flower pots on window sills in the vestibules and in the refectory, which are cultivated by individual enthusiasts, then for many decades the flora in Orthodox churches was limited to evergreen conifers at Christmas, traditional birch trees and grass on Trinity Day, primroses at Easter and on Bright Week, as well as in separate bouquets in front of especially revered icons and near the central lectern. Compositional floral solutions in the Church began to appear within the memory of the current generation: in the mid-1990s in Moscow and in the early 2000s in the provinces. Nevertheless, the practices that have proven themselves during this time allow us to speak of a fully formed Russian school of temple floristry.

Flowers and colors: harmony of colors

“The floral decoration of churches is often done by people who have nothing to do with professional floristry. On the other hand, the vast majority of florists are not churchgoers. I am a happy exception: my churching happened through floristry and thanks to it,” says one of the founders of the national school of temple floristry, Galina Kondratyeva.

In the early 2000s, Kondratyeva was assigned to the magazine “Flowers,” which was just beginning to be published (Galina Petrovna still works there as deputy editor-in-chief for floristry), to prepare material on the festive decoration of churches. Soon she met the sacristan of the Danilov Stavropegic Monastery, Hieromonk Zosima (Davydov, later Bishop of Yakutsk and Lensk; †2014).

“Over time, he became my spiritual father. And then I taught the first lesson in temple floristry, fortunately the teacher’s artistic education allowed it. He led me into the sacristy and said: “Do you see the vestments? Remember the basic rule: the color of the floral decoration should follow the color of the holiday, AkStarlight “I can always order a hundred peonies of the Look Choice variety, which you won’t find on sale in the city during the day.” The most experienced Arkhangelsk temple florist, Anna Semenikhina, uses a similar algorithm - only, as she admits, the goods in the Pomeranian capital are somewhat more expensive.

“If you have to work under time pressure, the Riga flower market is also suitable,” adds Natalya Gusarova, a florist at the Church of the Prophet Elijah “Ordinary” in Moscow. — I also use it if not very many flowers are needed. Of course, there are no such storage conditions as at a wholesale warehouse. But knowing the delivery schedule (and fresh flowers arrive at this outlet on Tuesdays and Fridays), you can purchase very high-quality products.” Natalya Sergeevna categorically does not recommend using the market near the Kievsky railway station: products are “dumped” there at the limit of their marketability. However, an experienced florist only needs a quick glance at a couple of plants to determine the quality of the entire batch. Gusarova advises beginners to be guided by a couple of main criteria. Firstly, pay attention to the lower “shirt” (corolla) of the flower: it should be dense, “vigorous”. Secondly, on the foliage: normal fresh leaves are a clear sign of the viability of the flower itself.

Oasis as a way out: real garlands and... not really

Above we used the term “composition” without giving it a strict definition. Departing slightly from the academically strict presentation of the basics of floristry, we will divide all possible ways of combining individual flowers into integral decorative ensembles in the temple space into three large groups: bouquets, compositions and garlands.

By bouquets we mean several interconnected flowers - identical or different. The art of creating a bouquet in relation to temple floristry has practically no distinctive features. Let us only point out that on the day of ordination, it is customary to present an ordained clergyman with a bouquet of white flowers. It is also preferable that the lower part of the bouquet be closed, otherwise the person accepting it as a gift may get hurt or get smeared on the stems.

A composition is a single ensemble of flowers arranged in a geometrically limited volume, smaller than the characteristic size of the interior of the temple itself, that are not directly connected to each other (or, alternatively, not even touching). Compositions can be floor, table and hanging. It is clear that to create such a structure in practice, a certain supporting base is needed or, as they say in floristry, a single base. For a very long time, craftsmen formed compositions only from persistent plants (with the expectation of a very limited service life, not exceeding a few days) or from dried flowers. The use of fresh flowers is caused by the lack of base material suitable for supporting the life of the stems and also capable of keeping the flower itself in balance. Finally, at the end of the last century, a similar hygroscopic substrate was invented in Denmark - a porous capillary material that resembles foamed silicon in appearance. The formula and technology for its production are kept in the strictest confidence, and the monopolist manufacturer of the product produced in the form of “bricks” of various shapes and sizes (commonly known as a floral sponge) is the transnational concern “Oasis”. Therefore, in professional jargon, a sponge is often simply called an oasis. Oasis sponge bricks are indispensable in the vast majority of compositions in the temple, and we will touch on the technical features of working with them below.

Garlands, due to their advantages, occupy one of the most common positions in the world of temple floristry. A garland is flowers, branches and greenery tightly woven together, looking like a voluminous rope or ribbon. Based on geometric characteristics, there are two main types of garlands: simple (straight or sagging) and graduated. Unlike the second, the first have the same thickness along their entire length.

According to the nature of the design, garlands can be made using the weaving technique, on an oasis (otherwise plastic) or on a pattern. The second and third varieties are imitations of a real garland: like flowers in a composition, the plants in them are not intertwined with each other, but are held on the “bricks” of an oasis, connected to each other using auxiliary connecting fasteners.

For the axis of a braided garland, any braided cord from the nearest radio market is quite suitable. When weaving a simple garland, you should first calculate the required amount of plant material per linear meter and cut the stems of the selected plants to the same length. A simple garland with slack is woven like a straight one, only the length of the cord should exceed the distance between the end points of the garland. Unlike a simple one, a graduated garland is assembled from plants with stems cut to different lengths. The minimum length should be for the stems located closer to the edges, the maximum for those in the center. Due to the gradual increase in length, the volume in the center of the garland increases.

For a garland on an oasis, if necessary, blocks of floral foam are cut into the required number of components, soaked in water and docked to each other with their end parts. In this form, they are tightly wrapped with plastic tape or placed in thin plastic bags sewn together. The resulting “sausage” sleeve is wrapped in a decorative mesh and finally sewn up, and is also equipped with fastening ends at the extreme points. Then plants are installed on one of the faces of the articulated oases, the garland is hung by the fastening ends with wire, and flowers are installed on its other sides. A plastic garland, like a wicker one, can also be made graduated. Only in this case, the visible thickening in the center of the garland is achieved due to the higher “planting” of flowers on the oasis in the center and shallower ones at the edges. To make the work easier and avoid mistakes, experienced florists advise that when making a plastic graduated garland, start installing the stems from the center of the garland and pre-place several beacons - sticks along its entire length, corresponding to the height of the “planting” at this particular point.

The garland on the pattern is actually the same as the garland on the oasis, only intended not for hanging, but for installation on a horizontal surface or for attaching to a vertical wall. A mesh is not needed here, but you will need a floral anchor tape. But first you need to make a pattern - a substrate made of durable plywood 0.7-0.8 mm thick, on which, in fact, plastic bags with oasis blocks soaked in water are placed. This design is economical and prevents moisture from entering the supporting surface (for example, on the display panel or on the lower cornice of the iconostasis). Next, the oasis blocks are secured with tape to the pattern, the piece itself is attached to the element to be decorated through pre-drilled holes using fastening ends and wire, and the working surface of the garland is decorated with flowers.

Basic equipment, tools, consumables

As the reader has probably already understood, a modern florist cannot do without oasis blocks that nourish plants in compositions and garlands. This product is irreplaceable because it uniquely combines hygroscopicity with the mechanical ability to hold the flower stem in its volume. A standard oasis “brick” measuring 17 x 11 x 8 cm quickly absorbs about a liter of water and then releases this moisture to the plants gradually over three weeks. The stems simply pierce into the oasis, freely entering it and being held inside by the force of friction.

All these benefits come at a price. Oasis blocks are difficult to recycle (this material is completely non-flammable), but the main thing is that they are disposable. Until now, however, craftsmen manage to reuse them after thoroughly drying them, despite the remaining holes from the flower stems. But a similar trick will definitely not work the third time. And the material is quite expensive: in the 7 Flowers - Decor store, standard “bricks”, depending on the brand, cost from 229 to 279 rubles. Of course, you can’t build a composition with just one “brick,” but a package of 16 cylindrical sponges, approximately corresponding in volume to a standard “brick” (a similar shape specially designed for garlands), already costs 1,128 rubles. When forming a complex, richly decorated floral ensemble with the help of an oasis, florists are guided by the following important rule: first, greenery must be installed on blocks of floral foam, which will cover the base on all sides as a decorative background, and only then flowers. This order is valid for both planar compositions and garlands.

The pruning shears are equally important. Professionals call it floral scissors. Similar products are produced in a great variety - even products with a titanium blade. True, there weren’t any of those in the flower warehouse store, and the prices for what they had fluctuated between 159 and 859 rubles.

The mesh for giving and holding the shape of a hanging composition or garland is made in Russia. Some florists prefer ordinary chain-link (a roll 5 m long and a cell diameter of 25 mm costs 262 rubles 30 kopecks), but special products for florists are also produced from copper painted in different colors (2.5-meter roll - 164 rubles 70 kopecks) Finally , floral “anchor” tape - in everyday parlance, single-sided tape - is usually sold in 50-meter-long rolls: with a width of 12 mm, it costs 284 rubles, and the standard size is twice as narrow - exactly half the price. If we are not talking about complex spatial compositions or many garlands, a couple of rolls of mesh and one roll of ribbon are usually enough for one work within the temple.

Main objects: Royal Doors, iconostasis, chandelier, central lectern with a festive icon

It is these places that are decorated with flowers for the holiday in the first place, so we will analyze the principles of their floral design separately. All of them are united by a common important feature: specific solutions are determined by the geometry of the element being decorated.

In architectural terms, the typological finial of the Royal Doors is a semicircular arch, the shape of which is repeated by the opening in the iconostasis located above. It is the latter that is usually decorated with a garland. It is usually attached to the canopy above the Royal Doors. Only the complex shape, together with the rather extended linear size of the garland, requires additional equipment: you need not just a pattern fixed to some flat surface, but a support base pre-made from plywood or a metal profile. It also has the shape of a semicircular arch and is attached directly to the iconostasis. If this is not possible, it is supported by a couple of additional racks. Then the abutments made of a metal frame are fixed in containers filled with cement mortar. Thus, they must ensure the reliability of the structure, that is, withstand the weight of the water-soaked floral foam and the flowers themselves.

When decorating the iconostasis with garlands, they usually decorate its local tier: the upper panel, the lower cornice and the spaces between the icons. At Easter, the Easter greeting letters and floral “eggs” made from plant material look great here.

Technically it is not easy to decorate a chandelier. The task is made easier if the design features allow it to be temporarily lowered to the floor. If this is not possible, you have to work at heights. In this case, it is necessary to determine in advance the main (large, maximum) diameter of the lamp. It is quite possible to do this remotely: mark on the floor the projections of two diametrically opposed elements of the external structure of the chandelier, and then measure the distance between them.

In terms of plan, the chandelier is a complex combination of concentric circles (support rings) and connections connecting them along chords and radial segments. Therefore, its floral decoration consists of several straight or closed garlands, which together make up a star. First of all, the florist needs to determine whether to use oasis blocks in this case, whether a wicker garland will be enough, or whether these options can be combined. The fact is that a large, thick garland with life support does not look very aesthetically pleasing on an openwork chandelier, the connections and support rings of which are light and transparent; on the other hand, a wicker garland will not please the eye for long. Otherwise, decorating a chandelier is no different from making garlands for other elements of the temple.

On the sides of the lectern with the icon of the holiday there are usually floor vases or high stands with bouquets or independent compositions: one between the lectern and the Royal Doors, plus one on each side. To make the decoration look harmonious, it is raised with the help of stands or candlesticks.

The icon itself on the lectern can be decorated in many different ways. The simplest and most aesthetically pleasing is to place a composition with an oasis on a plywood base, on which, in addition to the floral decoration, the shrine itself should be placed. In this case, plywood with a thickness of 10 mm, which is somewhat larger in size compared to the icon itself, is suitable. Holes are pre-drilled in it for attaching oasis blocks. Foam blocks are soaked in water, wrapped in film and secured to plywood with wire. Then flowers are placed on the base and, upon completion of the work, the icon is placed in the central part of the lectern on a lining of soft fabric. If you need to richly decorate a large icon, then you should start with decorative greenery, then move on to large flowers that determine the main tone, size and contour, and at the end add lines and set the rhythm with small flowers. It is better to place plants in an oasis at different heights: this will avoid monotony and excessive density.

If there is enough time and a qualified carpenter is on hand, you can make a base with double sides, with oasis blocks placed in between them. This design is more stable, but increases the mechanical load on the lectern. It happens that the modest size of the lectern does not allow the backing to be “fitted” into it: only the icon itself can barely fit there. Then a container with oasis blocks soaked in water is strengthened on its upper part and then flowers are placed there.

Rules for decorating other elements in the temple

You can decorate other icons, including those mounted on the walls. Usually, in this case, an icon case or frame is used to fasten the base or substrate. An icon that has neither an icon case nor a frame can be decorated with garlands attached to its back and sides.

The cross, taken out from the altar for the worship of believers, is decorated on the Week of the Worship of the Cross and on the holidays of the Exaltation and Origin of the Honest Trees. There are three possible options for the completeness of the floral decoration: affecting only the shrine itself; only the lectern on which she relies; both the cross and the lectern. To decorate the cross itself, a plywood backing is made in advance, in which holes are drilled along the perimeter in two parallel lines to secure the woven garland using wire. Additional widening of the substrate will allow you to place the garland on the oasis. When decorating a lectern, a plywood backing covered with fabric is attached to it, to which a garland is attached (running along the perimeter of the backing, following the contour of the cross or describing it in a circle).

The traditional color for decorating the Shroud of Christ is white; on the Virgin Plašanica, blue and blue tones are added to it. Most often, this element of vestment is decorated with a garland - closed, located along its entire perimeter, or U-shaped on its three sides. To securely fasten the garland, the cloth of the Shroud is carefully pierced with the ends of a wire bent in half, the garland is passed between these “tendrils” and then securely fixed with them. In the case of a particularly valuable Shroud, the garland is placed around it on a specially constructed stand or on the tomb itself on which the vestment is placed.

The floral decoration for the reliquary with the relics of the saint is generally arranged in the same way as for large icons or for the iconostasis. Only in this case, the role of the substrate is played by a pre-fabricated wooden frame. It is better to wrap it in soft material so as not to damage the crayfish itself.

The sexton's candle is removed with a wreath, fixed at the junction of it with the candlestick. Since during the Divine Liturgy the sexton’s candle is placed in front of the closed Royal Doors, their floral decorations must be in harmony. In principle, the life support of flowers on a candle is not required for the duration of one service. However, before the bishop's services, which culminate in a long official part, small oasis blocks in the shape of a ring can also be used. They are fixed around the holes for candles on the dikiria and trikiria and filled with flowers, which are tightly wound with ribbons to the lamp using the lower parts of the stems.

The nativity scene is primarily presented as an element of the festive decoration of the temple for the Nativity of Christ, where the first violin is played by a thoughtful design, as well as its talented iconographic and mini-sculptural content. But florists can also have their say in its decoration, and not the last! “In the summer I prepared ears of wheat and oats, I plan to use them in the ground floor of the nativity scene,” Anna Semenikhina shares her creative plans. “He will survive for a very long time without life support.”

Finally, upon special order, floral decorations of the temple for the sacraments of Wedding and Baptism are possible. Their features should be discussed in advance with the serving priest and the participants in the sacrament itself.

Five rules for beginners

Despite the large number of restrictions and regulations restraining imagination, I would like to remind you in conclusion: temple floristry is first and foremost an art. There are no ready-made recipes for success, and copying a successful solution once found becomes boring over time. However, following the following five main rules will help you avoid unnecessary waste of time and effort and will help you quickly find the right path.

1. Before drawing up a project for decorating a temple with flowers and before starting its implementation, be sure to receive the blessing of the abbot, without which the most creative ideas will most likely be doomed to failure.
2. When starting independent work on church floristry, gain at least basic knowledge on this subject.
3. Take care in advance of drawing up a preliminary design of the future floral ensemble.
4. Do not invent your own techniques and fastening methods: this “bicycle” has long been invented, approved and reliably tested.
5. Before you complain about the high cost of a green background for flowers, think: is it worth specially purchasing ornamental grass? In summer, tansy, blueberry, lingonberry, hawthorn, and rowan branches are quite suitable for this purpose; in winter - spruce and pine needles.

As an example, let's take a closer look at two floristic projects implemented last year - identical in the number of specialists involved in them, but differing in the level of complexity, labor costs and total cost.

1. Decoration of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God (list from the Cathedral Cathedral of Christ the Savior) before the grand opening of the exhibition “1945-2016” of the project “Russia. My story" in the Central Exhibition Hall "Manege".

The icon is the main shrine of the exhibition project unfolding in the space of a large hall, designed to last several weeks. Despite the two-fold change of flowers during the entire duration of the exposure, it is incredibly difficult to achieve complete preservation of flowers even when using life support. Therefore, florist Galina Kondratyeva applied the interchangeable flowering principle. Together with chrysanthemums, in the first phase of each of the three independent time periods of the “life” of the floral decoration of the icon, large inflorescences of hydrangeas “work”. When they begin to wilt, amaryllis bloom above them (see Dictionary). Eucalyptus with unopened buds is used as a green background.

Number of team of florist assistants: 15 people.

Duration of preparatory and decoration work: one day.

Issue price: 40 thousand rubles (one-time decoration, excluding replacement decor).

1. Decoration of the Assumption Church in Arkhangelsk for the Feast of the Entry into the Temple of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The floral ensemble includes three elements: a chandelier, an iconostasis and a festive icon on a lectern. The chandelier, 7.5 m high, was decorated using specially constructed scaffolding measuring 2x2 m. The main emphasis was placed on 15 amaryllis with a hollow stem filled with water, sealed with wax (hung in this form with buds down, they slowly bloom and delight the eye for a long time). Two support rings (160 and 80 cm in diameter), connected by 16 chains, are decorated with wreaths and garlands of chrysanthemums and gypsophila, placed on a green background of eucalyptus and lingonberries. The Royal Doors are decorated with the Bach lily on a white background formed by white carnations. A simple garland (uniform frieze) on a wooden base, in which there are 300 white-green “Joy” chrysanthemums and 15 eustomes, is placed along the panel of the local iconostasis. The main element of the ensemble is the festive icon on the central lectern, decorated in white with 30 ranunculi, 25 hyacinths and 25 roses.

Such an ensemble is considered quite complete, comprehensively conveying the beauty and meaning of the holiday through floral means. To reach the “academic” indicator - a dozen different plants in the decoration of one temple at the same time - it lacks one flower. In fact, it was planned. The callas were let down - they arrived of poor quality, admits florist Anna Semenikhina.

Number of team of florist assistants: 15 people.

Duration of preparatory and decoration work: three days.

Issue price: 100 thousand rubles.

A brief dictionary of terms used

Amaryllis is a perennial plant of the Amaryllis family, consisting of one species - Amaryllis belladonna, or beautiful (Amaryllis belladonna). It is considered one of the most beautifully flowering indoor plants. Large bell-shaped inflorescences of various colors with a delicate aroma look very impressive on a tall peduncle.

Hypericum (lat. Hypericum) - St. John's wort. Belongs to the St. John's wort family, which includes about one hundred and ten species (several include Russia in their growing range).

Dendrobium (lat. Dendrobium) is a genus of perennial herbaceous plants of the orchid family. Flowers vary in size, shape and color. Some species have a pleasant aroma. A common feature for the entire genus is the base of the lip, which is rolled tubularly around the column.

Gypsophila, or Gypsophila (lat. Gypsophila), is a genus of plants from the clove family. Includes about 150 species native to southern Europe and extratropical Asia; One Australian species is also known. The flowers are small, white, whitish-green, pinkish and pink, arranged like flowers of the carnation family.

Ranunculus (Latin Ranunculus, from Latin rana - “frog”) is a buttercup, a genus of annual or perennial herbaceous plants of the Ranunculaceae family. Aquatic or terrestrial herbs with caustic and sometimes poisonous juice. Flowers are solitary or collected in complex inflorescences.

Skimmia (lat. Skimmia) is an evergreen shrub from the Rutaceae family, growing up to 1 m in height, with oblong shiny leaves. Its homeland is the Himalayas, Japan and China.

Style (in relation to temple floristry) is a set of characteristic features and attributes that determine the unified perception by an outside observer of the decoration of the temple with flowers and influence the prayerful mood of the participants in the service.

Eustoma (lat. Eustoma) is an Irish rose, a genus from the Gentian family, consisting of one species - Eustoma grandiflorum. A luxurious plant from 30 to 90 cm in height with branched shoots, simple, elegant leaves with a bluish tint and flowers reminiscent of a hybrid of rose and poppy.

When preparing the material, we used the monograph by Galina Kondratyeva “Temple floristry. The art of decorating a temple with flowers" (M.: KITAS LLC, 2013).

Dmitry Anokhin

"Church Messenger"

The material was published in the May issue of the “Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate” for 2021, pdf version

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Remains of heaven on earth. Who decorates churches with flowers and how?

What is church floristry? Are there any rules for decorating churches with flowers and who determines them - theologians, priests, florists? We asked these questions to professional florist Galina Kondratyeva. She is a laureate of the national award “Flower of Success” - for large-scale projects on festive decoration of Orthodox churches (Cathedral of Christ the Savior, Sretensky Monastery, Danilov Monastery), author of the unique book “Temple Floristry”, teacher of church floristry.

The main thing is not to interfere with prayer

We met Galina Petrovna during her work. With her students, she decorated the Moscow Church of the Holy Martyrs Faith, Nadezhda, Lyubov and their mother Sophia at the Federal Scientific and Clinical Center for Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Immunology. Dmitry Rogachev.

There are buckets of flowers on the floor. The workplace consists of long tables covered with oilcloth. There are tools on them: wire cutters, screwdrivers, knives, wire. Galina is finishing the garland on a stepladder. The last hydrangeas complete the floral arrangement of eight garlands on the horos, a round lamp. The same lush pale pink and white hydrangeas, white chrysanthemums, roses, branches of ruscus and red berries of decorative St. John's wort are around the icons below. I want to touch it - are they alive? Yes, everyone is alive!

— How do you feel about artificial flowers in the church? - I ask the master.

- It is believed that this is deceit, a substitution. But I use dried flowers, for example, lunaria, in my work.

“Today is the feast of the martyrs, and your colors are so delicate.” Why?

— Of course, the color of martyrs is red. But the martyrs Vera, Nadezhda, and Love are girls. And the temple is on the territory of a children's hospital, children will come here. Hence the tenderness. But we still have red. This is hypericum. You see, the berries are like dots, they symbolize droplets of blood.

“They also say that you should not decorate the temple with poisonous flowers, such as ranunculus.

“I once shared with one of the priests that florists are afraid to use thorny and poisonous plants to decorate the temple. To which the priest replied with a smile: “Let them not eat them!” It is undesirable to use flowers with a pungent and strong odor in your work: they can cause headaches and an allergic reaction. And most importantly, flowers should not interfere with prayer!

Flowers led to God

Galina’s meeting with her future spiritual mentor and a new turn in her profession happened like this. In 2002, the magazine “Flowers”, where she still works today, needed to photograph the floral decoration of temples. So, fulfilling the assignment of the editors, Galina ended up in the Danilov Monastery. There she met Hieromonk Zosima (later Bishop of Yakutsk and Lensk, now deceased), who soon blessed her to decorate the Trinity Cathedral of the monastery for Epiphany.

“Flowers brought me to God,” admits Galina Kondratyeva.

Each holiday has its own face

Experts study how churches were decorated before the revolution using photographic and documentary materials. The words of St. John of Kronstadt are known: “Flowers are the remnants of paradise on earth.” In Russian literature, for example, from Ivan Shmelev, we come across many stories about how in Rus' people themselves brought fresh flowers and greenery to church for the holiday.

In Orthodox churches, flowers are primarily used to decorate the lectern icon, as well as especially revered temple icons, a cross, a shroud, candlesticks, a chandelier and a khoros (church lamps), and sometimes an eagle (a round rug for a bishop).

— But there are no church canons about decorating churches, so what do florists focus on? - I ask Galina Petrovna.

— The first is the color of the priests’ vestments. These are the basics of church floristry. Also, the plants should be in harmony with the main color of the holiday. The feasts of the Virgin Mary are blue, the Nativity of Christ is white, the Resurrection of Christ is red and white, the Trinity is green. True, it happens that we deviate from this rule when the interior and lighting of the temple dictate something else. Once we were decorating the temple for the feast of St. Seraphim of Sarov. If a saint is being honored, they serve in green vestments. But the temple is small, light, and I didn’t want to put anything there other than yellow. That's what we did, and it turned out well. In addition, each holiday has its own image. Florists try to choose flowers that match this image. For the Mother of God holidays, for example, this is a lily.

— Who determines how and with what to decorate the temple: priests or florists?

- Together. Florists do nothing without the blessing of the abbot. But it’s always joyful when priests meet the creative ideas of florists halfway. As, for example, in the Sretensky Monastery. With Vladyka Tikhon, decorating the temple is a joint effort. In 2008, he and I decided to make a huge Christmas star out of flowers on the choir and chandelier. Since then, she has been a symbol of Christmas in this monastery.

How to learn temple floristry

People who decorate temples actively communicate on online forums. At the Church of St. Nicholas in Izmailovo there is a youth platform for those who want to learn how to decorate churches. You can also learn the secrets of mastery from the book “Temple Floristry”.

Interviewed by Zoya Barysheva

“Krestovsky Bridge” No. 9 (2016)

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How to weave a wreath for an icon. Temple floristry

I would like to share my experience in temple floristry, which I have been doing for about a year and a half. Maybe someone will find my advice useful?! We will decorate the icon with fresh flowers for the holiday. We start from modest possibilities, use available materials and act on the principle: “The need for invention is cunning.” The holiday is solemn, but at the same time mournful, so the wreath is designed in white and lilac tones.

Materials:

• Wire frame to the size of the icon;
• green ribbon (any);
• floral wire;
• very sharp breadboard knife;
• pruner;
• scissors;
• green threads;
• scotch.

We take flowers that can last a long time without water. The day before, the day before, we put the plant material in water and let it soak well.

1. I chose the following plants: gypsophila, bush chrysanthemum, carnations, ruscus (green leaves), hypericum (green berries).

The frame for the wreath was woven by a local, “church jack of all trades.”

2. We wrap our base with green ribbon. If the frame underneath the flowers suddenly shows through, it won’t be noticeable. We also wrap the base with floral wire to add density and strength. We secure the ends of the tape with tape.

3. We separate chrysanthemums into flowers, half-opened buds and completely closed buds. We cut the ruscus branches into several parts, so that the upper part ends not with a bare stem, but with a leaf. We also disassemble hypericum into branches.

4. We begin to collect symmetrical bouquets. To prevent the flowers from falling apart, we wrap them tightly with green thread. We trim the ends to the same level.

You need to make a lot of such bouquetikos :).

5. To prevent the flowers from wilting, place the finished bouquets in water. The easiest way is to use a basin for this :).

6. The bouquets are ready. Let's start assembling the festive wreath.

7. We begin to weave from the top from the center, placing two bouquets face to face.

8. We attach the bouquets with an overlap. We secure each one with thread and tape.

9. We attach the flowers tightly to each other so that there are no gaps.

10. Gradually moving down. We work on both sides simultaneously and ensure symmetry. When we reach the end, we cover the bare stems with two bouquets, attaching them upside down.

We admire the beauty.

For me, the challenge was to make the wreath flexible and light. After all, the icon was decorated only towards the middle of the service. This had to be done easily and quickly, with the opportunity to slightly adjust the decoration along the contour of the icon.

The flowers stood without water for exactly a week. Yes, they were a little wilted, but it was almost unnoticeable.