A candle box or candle bench is a piece of church furniture the size of a low stand. The table top of the candle box contains trays for different sized candles, as well as a place for writing notes and a donation slot connected to the mug. The mug is located under the tabletop behind the lockable doors. The church mug is designed to collect donations. A small number of such items have survived to this day. As a rule, they are in museums. They are included in catalogs of Russian applied art. All old candle boxes were made of wood with lots of geometric carvings and hammered metal fittings. The need for them remained for use in chapels or small churches. Church benches with an integrated candle box are relevant today.
Church shop
Church shop? this is a whole furniture complex, which is located near the western wall or in separate room standing next to the temple. The oldest icon shop we came across was made at the end of the 19th century. It was made of oak in the best traditions of cabinetmaking. Modern candle shops resemble good IKEA furniture that ended up in a room that was not intended for it. Newly built shops are rarely pleasing to the eye; as a rule, they are simple and not beautiful. They do not perform their full functionality, but they are not expensive. However, after a few years cheap candle box will need to be replaced with a new one. Is it worth ordering a cheap church shop multiple times? Obviously not.
We designed and executed several antique pieces with a bit of our own interpretation. These items took their place worthy place. We also developed and implemented several of our own projects. We have developed and thought out a project, which we hope will be produced for many churches in different layouts and with minor stylization changes. We will post the drawings on our website. It is a pity that not a single drawing conveys the detailed design and appearance of the final result. However, in a live conversation we will try to explain to interested people the basic concept of our project.
The theater begins with a coat rack, and the temple begins (and for some ends) with a candle box. Church workers have long become the talk of the town. They looked the wrong way, they said the wrong thing. But, before criticizing, let's look at this work (as they say in the Church - obedience) from the other side of the counter.
Life and death
At the beginning of the work shift at the Church of All Saints, the candle box worker helped prepare everything necessary for three people being baptized: two babies and young man. At the last moment, it turned out that the parents of one baby had mixed up the temple. They quickly got ready and left for the church of the Great Martyr. Panteleimon. The saleswoman then answered questions from tearful women wearing black headbands. Is it possible to perform a funeral service for the deceased on Sunday? What is the difference between in-person and absentee funerals? What and how should you do? Finally, they began to wait for the priest to be free, watching in bewilderment as he ran from the font in the center of the church to the vestibule, to the baptistery for the baptism of adults. You are experiencing grief now, while others are experiencing joy. How to fit it in? The brain resists. But behind the candle box they got used to everything.
Call. It is necessary to give communion to a seriously ill person. People agreed when the priest would have time, but the patient’s condition has deteriorated sharply, and his relatives fear that he might die without Communion. The seller instantly mobilizes internally. Asks clear questions, writes down coordinates. He calls the priests, makes an agreement, and in a few minutes the issue is resolved. And a couple of hours later, relatives call, complaining that they did not thank the priest. They are explained that the donation can be given through the temple. God bless! The man was not left without the last Communion. This is an emergency. But the usual requirements are also written down. If this is Communion of the sick at home, they find out the person’s condition, whether he wants to receive communion or whether it is the desire of his relatives, when he received communion for the last time, how he is preparing. All information is transmitted to the priest on duty.
Behind the candle box he is aware of all high-profile incidents: accidents and accidents, since funeral services are held there. Often people who are far from the Church want a priest to come to their home and perform a memorial service for the deceased. People gather there to say goodbye to the deceased, but not everyone will want to go to church.
The seller explained that for the funeral service, relatives are required to bring a death certificate indicating the cause. I was surprised how well she understands medical terms. If the diagnosis is in doubt, the priest personally talks with relatives to understand the situation - whether there was suicide, alcoholism or drug addiction. If they hide something, it is on their conscience. When a priest is faced with a difficult case, behind the box people are given a list of documents that need to be submitted to the church-canonical commission of the Nizhny Novgorod Metropolis. There they consider questions about the funeral service and the dissolution of a church marriage.
Why are we baptized?
I look around. There is a whole household here, a lot of accounting books, various boxes. Behind the box there is strict accounting, everything is written down. When you have a free minute, you need to pack candles. And at the evening service, the seller looked after the candles in the temple. For some reason the worshipers did not correct them. During the entire shift I never sat down. She just suggested to me: “Sit down, it’s heavy on your feet because you’re not used to it.”
Before the eyes of the seller is a reminder - what to say to those who want to be baptized. They need to come for an interview. Many people do not want to “waste time”; they say that they would rather go to rural churches to be baptized. Behind the candle box they are convinced that they themselves need it. “Give me a book on preparing for baptism,” the visitor asks and immediately begins to be indignant. - What is this!? The priests demand to go to an interview. And I have a small child, I don’t have any time.” “Yes,” the seller agrees sympathetically, “of course. But this won't last long. Father is also in a hurry, and he has a family, children.” “They also demand that you learn prayers,” the woman continues to complain about the priest. The seller expresses sympathy with all his appearance: “Yes, but you need to learn very few prayers, the most basic ones. They are short, only the “Creed” is long, but you have to know what you believe in...” So, after talking a little, the women part as good friends. Working with people is a great art.
A woman with a baby buys candles and arranges them. Through the counter you can see her walking in front of the sole. The seller came out to explain that you can’t go there. “Wow,” she wonders, “last year we baptized a child here, but they didn’t tell us about it...” Indeed, it’s surprising - they baptized the child and went to church only a year later. The question is, why were they baptized?
People
Workers jokingly divide temple visitors into parishioners, parishioners (they come in occasionally), passers-by (they passed by and came in) and parishioners (who were brought by relatives). There are inadequate visitors to whom you need to explain so many times until they hear you or leave. Moreover, the seller does this calmly and with a smile. Where does such endurance and nerves of iron come from? - “Don’t forget, I worked in a kindergarten.”
Some come specifically to make trouble, looking for something to complain about. - “Why do you have such expensive candles?” They explained that the candles were purchased from the diocese. - “People give so much money for the temple, but what is its condition?” A man came into the temple not to pray, but to quarrel. - “I urgently need a priest.” Service in progress. The seller is trying to find out how urgent it is. What if a person, without waiting, turns around, leaves and commits suicide? - “I read the Gospel and am outraged by what is written there. Give me a priest, I’ll tell him everything, like a communist...” Everything is clear.
The temple attracts the city's crazy and spiritually ill people. Everyone is weird in their own way. One regular visitor has gone through hot spots, he has outbursts of aggression, another sick guy begs for money in the temple. Some pray on their knees in front of icons with their hands raised, loudly complaining to the saints. There is a woman who lights lamps and candles and walks on the salt. The seller is afraid that she will not enter the altar, but does not show it, because the church is open to everyone. She asked if it was true in the newspaper that the beggar Herman gave the collected money to the temple. The seller smiled: “He won’t even give me a candle. Try it, ask him. You never know what they write..."
Grandmother with a claim: “I’ve been submitting notes for four years. You probably already remember all the names. What, not yet?” Dictates a huge list. Seller: “Ask your grandchildren to print this list for you on the computer.” - “What, they don’t know that I come here...” Lonely people come to talk, you need to listen to them patiently, but they can talk for hours. Someone was brought to church by grief. The mother of a drug addict talks about the hell she lives in. - "What to do?" - “When was the last time you confessed and received communion?” - "Never". Educational program begins. Will a person come to the temple? Will a passerby become a parishioner? The ways of the Lord are mysterious.
And their questions
It’s possible to talk behind the box in fits and starts, because the phone practically never stops talking. They call from other parish churches, where they accept notes, but there are no services on weekdays. We need to write down the names for commemoration. They call to find out the schedule in the church of St. Seraphim of Sarovsky, the phone there does not answer. People do not understand that there is a parish and a monastery, and these are different organizations. For them, everything is one, everything is the Church.
- “Give me a blessing.” - “The priest gives the blessing.” - “You misunderstood, I need a blessing for the newlyweds.” Finally, the seller realized that they were asking for wedding icons. - “No, this Mother of God will not do, it’s too strict (Kazan Icon), there will be no happiness for the young, give me another.” Exhortations that we have only one Mother of God did not convince the visitor. An intelligent-looking woman brought a small icon to be blessed Mother of God and guarded at the entrance so that the icon would not be stolen or replaced - it was decorated with diamonds. But the seller, and the priest, thought that these were simple pebbles.
Questions are constantly answered behind the box. Can I apply to successfully pass the exam? What is the difference between simple notes and custom notes? - “No, you explain to me which ones are more effective.” - “Should we have a wake on the ninth day? How many people should I invite?” - “Is it true that the annual commemoration must be ordered in several churches?” People want to formalize everything and do it “as it should.” To such questions, the seller usually answers that he can do it within his means. But he doesn’t always have time to even open his mouth. “I ordered a magpie about my deceased brother in several churches,” the visitor intervened in the conversation. “My brother dreamed about me and said that he was tired, and asked that we not torment him.” “So now I’m ordering a memorial in one church,” she concluded. Everyone is confident that they understand how to believe correctly and teach each other. And then people become indignant: “They told me this in church...”
There are funny moments - when adults write notes “about the repose of Grandma Lucy” or call: “Can I wash my hair today?” When, after the transfer to the Soyuz television station, everyone runs together to buy an icon of St. Luke Krymsky. And sometimes it’s not funny at all. - “Yesterday my brother hanged himself in another city, and I was invited to his birthday. So, should I go or not? Pause. The temple worker gasps for air. Whatever you answer can be interpreted in any way. She persuades the girl on the other end of the line to come to the temple and talk with the priest. Behind the box they try to talk about simple things without going into theology. There is a priest for this.
During the service, there is a bustle near the candle box, latecomers are jostling, passing candles, and only snatches of prayers can be heard from the sellers. During the singing of the Cherubimskaya, a sign is placed on the counter asking you to wait. Some visitors are outraged by this; people do not understand why they have to wait. Just a few minutes! In general, there is an idea that the Church should do everything the way we want, and for free.
N: “It’s a very heavy physical and, most importantly, mental load. You have to think about every word. I understand that if I say something wrong, the Lord will ask me. Not here, but there... The grace that is in the temple helps us endure everything. Sometimes there is no one, everyone has gone away. It's time to go home, the shift is over. But it’s so quiet, good, prayed for. And I finally want to pray calmly, with feeling...”
It seems to many that the sellers behind the candle box do not do anything special, and their work is easy, not like ours. But if you take a closer look, you realize that only deeply religious and church lovers People. Others won't hold back. For some reason I thought that the feeling of reverence dulls there - you sit and count the money. And now I understand, behind the box it’s like on the front line. Something can happen at any moment, and you need to quickly make the right decision. And this means there is prayer in the heart, and the Lord is nearby.
Candle shops and boxes
Candle shop – a counter installed in a temple, behind which stands a seller (most often one of the parishioners of the temple) and offers the products of the temple. These are different candles, church books, lamps, icons, lamp oil. The seller also accepts notes on health and repose, prayers, and memorial services.
Any temple lives only through our donations. These donations go to pay for light, water, heating, salaries for workers and clergy. In each church, the amount of donations is different, depending on the size of the parish. But first of all, it is a donation to God. By buying a candle in a candle shop, we make a sacrifice to God, thereby expressing our love for Him. This is a small sacrifice that we should not forget about.
Candle box in the temple- This is a cabinet with special semicircular cavities on top, into which candles of various sizes are placed. These cabinets come complete with donation boxes, and each Orthodox Christian can take the required number of candles and make a feasible contribution at his own discretion. In large churches, this allows you to “unload” church shops, around which, especially at the beginning of services, a lot of people crowd. There is also candle boxes that do not have containers for money. They are usually used directly in church shops, where donations must be given to the person serving there.
Since ancient times, candles have been used to illuminate rooms and their main purpose was to provide light. In the temple, this function is filled with spiritual meaning: light becomes a symbol of our sacrifice and prayer. Initially, the technology for making candles was based on the following principle: fat or lard was poured into a tube with a wick, they solidified, and rooms were illuminated with such candles. Their downside was the constantly forming soot, which had to be removed, and soot. Afterwards they began to use wax, it was even bleached in a special way. Now candles made from artificial and natural wax and paraffin are common in all Orthodox churches. Main feature candle boxes, having containers for donations,- this is the fact that a person, based on his income, makes a contribution according to his strength.
You can choose buy these wooden candle boxes for candles:
Candle box with donation box.
Candle box for church shop without donation box.
One-, two-, three-leaf cabinets for different types candles.
Different heights.
Candle shop – This is not a candle box. Here are the differences:
Box dimensions: all sides - no more than 1 m, counters are very large.
Not only candles are placed in the counter, but also the entire product, while only candles can be placed in a candle box.
The box is heavier: it weighs over 10 kg.
The first person we meet upon crossing the threshold of the temple is the candle maker, also known as the candle box worker. Formally, he sells church goods, accepts memorial notes and records services: weddings, funeral services, baptisms and others. But in reality, he is a psychologist, a tour guide, and a catechist. It is with him, and not with the priest, that many people begin their acquaintance with church life. This person will confidently answer most of your questions regarding faith, church or service.
We talked with the candlemakers of Moscow parishes and found out how they came to the profession, what its essence is and what they do in their free time from working in the church and talked about it in our section.
Roman, 48 years old
Candlestick of the Saint's Church on Krasnopresnenskaya embankment
Photo by Vladimir Eshtokin
I became a candle maker very simply: they offered me, but I didn’t refuse. At that time I completed my military service, received three higher education in economics and successfully worked as a manager of a foreign car dealership. He also taught several original courses at the Faculty of Economics of Moscow State University.
My parents baptized me in infancy, and from then on the temple became a part of my life. Adults took me there, and they taught me a respectful attitude towards the Church and faith. He began to come to services on his own already at a conscious age - at first he simply came along the road, then this began to happen more and more often.
When I regularly went to church as an ordinary parishioner, I never thought of working there. One day, our candle maker urgently needed to leave his position, and the priests were looking for a replacement to take his place. I didn't need money from them, and they didn't have a budget for this function, so common language We found it quickly, and I started working on my only day off. This is very similar to the movie character who worked as a gardener and had a decent fortune.
The position of a candle maker is not a job for me and certainly not a profession. It is rather a service that consists of helping the people serving in the temple and those who came to it. In general, this can be compared to the activities of a sailor on the upper deck of a small ocean schooner: helping passengers, other sailors and the captain. And at other times, scrub the deck.
Photo by Vladimir Eshtokin
To work as a candle maker, you only need a little life experience, humility and a sense of humor. You also need to be able to sort notes, sweep the floor, and feel free to take out the trash.
There is an opinion among people that only people who have failed in life and have nothing else to do work behind the candle box. Therefore, you need to be prepared for a condescending attitude and try to react kindly.
One day, an elderly Mexican couple came here - husband and wife. They were very interested in the history of the temple and asked many questions about faith. We said goodbye to them, and then they came three hours later and gave me a small laminated icon - in their homeland this is a revered Christian image. It turned out that this is the icon of the Mother of God “Increasing the Mind”, only they have it in green tones, and we have it in red.
In my free time I grow oaks, apple trees, and walnut trees. It captivated me so much that I had to leave Moscow for the village. You understand that the trees on the loggia do not grow as expected. I also respect amateur ballroom dancing and paint coffee and tea cups. The latter takes a lot of time and effort, but museums and private galleries are already asking for my works to be exhibited.
Maria, 27 years old
Candlestick of the saint's home church at Moscow State University. M. V. Lomonosova
Photo by Vladimir Eshtokin
I won’t say that there was no faith in my life before, and then one day it appeared. I was baptized in infancy, after which my grandmother took me to church several times a year. I started going there independently and consciously at the age of fifteen - at first it was sporadically, then more and more regularly, and after the entrance exams to the university I became a permanent parishioner in our church.
Several years passed like this, then I suddenly found myself without a job. While I was thinking about where to go and what prospects there were, I was invited to work in a candle shop. What was needed was a person not from outside, but from the parish.
You don't just sit here and sell something.- this is not the job of a seller as such . This is immediately the work of a psychologist, consultant and even catechist. People come and ask all kinds of questions, sometimes very strange, wild or very banal questions. For example: “Do you have an icon for everything?”, “And for wealth?”, “How can I order a prayer service so that my loan will be approved?”
And you are obliged to answer to the best of your education, adequacy and knowledge of church life. When the question is very complex or a person just needs to talk to him, it is better to send him to a priest if you do not know a definite answer. And this is not so much a field as psychology. People come and talk about their whole lives, about their troubles, about how something didn’t work out for them or about family problems.
You need to be patient with people and their weaknesses. You can’t sit there looking like you know everything better than anyone here, but complete ignoramuses come to you, you can’t treat them condescendingly. We must try to always be welcoming and friendly.
I won’t say that a candle box worker must have super-deep theological knowledge, but he must know the basis of the doctrine firmly. So that he himself does not give rise to even small superstitions in people. Because you have no right to talk nonsense. Naturally, you need to know very well in order to answer the simplest questions.
Photo by Vladimir Eshtokin
The most difficult thing is interaction with inadequate or simply sick people. Sometimes you just don’t know how to behave. You feel that a person can suddenly become aggressive. When such people come, it is quite a strong nervous tension.
I am inspired by the very opportunity to talk about Christianity. You helped a person understand something, part with a small delusion that was poisoning his life. I am very happy when people buy crosses for christenings. It's always very nice.
It’s great when you have something that a person has been looking for for a long time and could not find in other places, but we have it. Most often this is a rare icon of a saint or a personal icon.
I guess it's somewhere between work and service. You see, to call this service with a capital “M” means to unjustifiably elevate oneself. The priest's service is indeed many times more difficult for him than for any other person working in the church.
I can say with confidence that this definitely cannot be called a profession. Of course, this is work, in the most ordinary, literal sense of the word - you come at a certain time and fulfill obligations to sell goods and services, but also service, of course. If a person consciously does this all his life and this is his main occupation, then perhaps one can say so. But this is very rare. Basically, people combine work in a church shop with other activities.
I don't set myself any great task Orthodox education, because thousands of people are already working on this. But there are some little things and conventions that I consider it my duty to help understand and explain that God is not in candles or notes. We need to slowly move away from this “magical” attitude towards simple ritual moments.
A man of about forty, who looks Japanese, periodically comes to see us. Each time he hands over money and a very neatly printed piece of paper in a file, on which is written a magpie with photographs of several Japanese and their Orthodox names. Apparently, he was asked, and he regularly comes to do this.
The rest of the time I like to travel around the world and the country, I am seriously interested in cinema and read a lot. I regularly write about all this on my blog for myself and my friends who are interested in my texts.
Olga Valentinovna, 47 years old
“Yesterday evening a woman came to the service with a child. She was wearing trousers and no headscarf. One of you reprimanded her. She left. I don’t know who reprimanded her, but I order this person to pray for her and for this child until the end of his days, so that the Lord will save them. Because because of you, she may never come to the temple again.” Here is a key example for the man behind the candle box.
Love is above all rules, and therefore, even if a person comes and does something wrong , we should not make a remark so that he leaves the temple. My task is to give love, warmth, attention, show care; meet and either refer to the priest for advice, or recommend the necessary literature. At the same time, you need to understand that I don’t have to teach anyone.
More than 10 years ago, a society of Orthodox large families was created at the church, where I participate as one of the organizers. We develop family leisure, discuss problems, help each other. One of our main events is the joint reading of the akathist to the Mother of God “Education”.
Candle shops and boxes
Candle shop – a counter installed in a temple, behind which stands a seller (most often one of the parishioners of the temple) and offers the products of the temple. These are various candles, church books, lamps, icons, lamp oil. The seller also accepts notes on health and repose, prayers, and memorial services.
Any temple lives only through our donations. These donations go to pay for light, water, heating, salaries for workers and clergy. In each church, the amount of donations is different, depending on the size of the parish. But first of all, it is a donation to God. By buying a candle in a candle shop, we make a sacrifice to God, thereby expressing our love for Him. This is a small sacrifice that we should not forget about.
Candle box in the temple- This is a cabinet with special semicircular cavities on top, into which candles of various sizes are placed. These cabinets come complete with donation boxes, and every Orthodox Christian can take the required number of candles and make a contribution at his own discretion. In large churches, this allows you to “unload” church shops, around which, especially at the beginning of services, a lot of people crowd. There is also candle boxes that do not have containers for money. They are usually used directly in church shops, where donations must be given to the person serving there.
Since ancient times, candles have been used to illuminate rooms and their main purpose was to provide light. In the temple, this function is filled with spiritual meaning: light becomes a symbol of our sacrifice and prayer. Initially, the technology for making candles was based on the following principle: fat or lard was poured into a tube with a wick, they solidified, and rooms were illuminated with such candles. Their downside was the constantly forming soot, which had to be removed, and soot. Afterwards they began to use wax, it was even bleached in a special way. Now candles made from artificial and natural wax and paraffin are common in all Orthodox churches. Main feature candle boxes, having containers for donations,- this is the fact that a person, based on his income, makes a contribution according to his strength.
You can choose buy these wooden candle boxes for candles:
Candle box with donation box.
Candle box for church shop without donation box.
One-, two-, three-leaf cabinets for different types of candles.
Different heights.
Candle shop – This is not a candle box. Here are the differences:
Box dimensions: all sides - no more than 1 m, counters are very large.
Not only candles are placed in the counter, but also the entire product, while only candles can be placed in a candle box.
The box is heavier: it weighs over 10 kg.
Virgo
