Orthodox Eastertide 2016 (part I): Great Saturday Matins (Lamentation at the Tomb — Plashchanitsa), Azdamichy.
To mark the death of Christ and his repose in the tomb, the priest sets up a temporary altar table in the nave to symbolize Christ’s tomb. The priest has a cloth icon spread out to cover the table. Commemorating the Lamentation of the dead Christ, the icon is called the Winding-Cloth (Plashchanitsa (Плашчаніца) in Belarusian, epitaphios in Greek). Other icons in the church are draped in black lace. However, this Holy Saturday service itself is far from a lamentation. Rather, it praises Christ’s victory over death by his own death.
Праваслаўныя велікодныя абрады 2016 (частка І): ютрань і Вынос Плашчаніцы, Вялікая субота, Аздамічы.
The Priest’s placement of the Gospels on top of the Plashchanitsa (icon of the Lamentation) proclaims Christ’s victory over death.
Размяшчэньне Евангельля на Плашчаніцу абвяшчае перамогу Хрыста над сьмерцю.
A grandmother teaches her granddaughter how properly to revere the icon before the service.
Father Aljaksandr holds the Plashchanitsa icon over his head for the procession.
Father Aljaksandr blesses the Plashchanitsa icon at the end of the service.
