Orthodox Holy Saturday matins and procession with the icon of the Winding Cloth (Lamentation at the Tomb — Plashchanitsa), Azdamichy 2019.
Вялікая субота, Аздамічы 2019 г.
To mark the death of Christ and his repose in the tomb, the priest sets up a temporary altar table, an altar of repose (the symbolic tomb of Christ), toward the rear of the nave. The priest — Father Aljaksandr in Azdamichy — 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 or epitaphios in Greek. Other icons in the church are draped in black lace. However, this matins service itself is far from a lamentation. Rather, it praises Christ’s victory over death by his own death.
Parishes commemorate Plashchanitsa with a procession (“carrying out of the Winding-Cloth” or Vynos Plashchanitsy – Вынос Плашчаніцы), during which the priest carries the Winding-Cloth and frame over his head.
Вынось Плашчаніцы.
Matins.
Ютрань.
