Altar Cross

A large cross lay on the communion table in the chancel of every Russian Orthodox church, symbolising the presence of Jesus Christ. Such objects were richly ornamented and embossed with images of the Crucifixion. They often contained the relics of saints and were actively employed at such religious festivals as the Exaltation of the Holy Cross and the Veneration of the Life-Giving Cross (third Sunday of Lent). The altar cross was placed on the pulpit in the centre of the church on particularly important occasions.