Cathedral of the Archangel Michael and other ethereal Heavenly Powers

Established at the beginning of the 4th century, the celebration of the Council of the Archangel Michael and other disembodied Heavenly Powers is currently celebrated on November 21 (November 8, old style) The date has a special meaning, which ceased to be so obvious with the transition to the new style Previously, the year began in March, and November according to this account, the ninth month, symbolizes 9 angelic ranks, and the number “8” - “eighth day” testifies to the onset of the Last Judgment, at which everyone will be divided into sinners and righteous The decision to celebrate was made at the Council of Laodicea, which decided to worship angels only as messengers of God's will, and condemned their veneration as creators This heretical recognition of them as superior to the Lord himself became very widespread by the 4th century in some areas and required measures to be taken to prevent idolatry The condemnation of those who do not pray to God, but only to angels, is formulated in the 35th paragraph of the rules of the Council of Laodicea According to the Holy Scriptures, the desire to rule was not alien to the angels Even before the creation of our world, the strongest of them decided to become like God and found support among some celestials But the devoted warrior of Christ, Archangel Michael gathered that part of the heavenly army that remained faithful to the Creator, and expelled the traitor, who began to be called Satan, and his minions - demons Michael himself began to be called the Archangel (literal translation from Greek - commander-in-chief) - the devoted leader of the Heavenly Forces, which continue their just cause, faithfully serving God According to legends, he performed many other miracles, always fighting evil together with other archangels, the most revered of which are Gabriel, Jehudiel, Barachiel, Jeremiel, Uriel, Selaphiel, Raphael They all have their own mission, and demonstrate through themselves the different power of the Lord, which is reflected in the iconographic images Thus, Gabriel is depicted with a branch, associated with the Divine secrets that he conveys to the chosen ones, and for example, Raphael - with a vessel containing a healing potion, because he was sent by God to relieve diseases Michael himself often tramples on the devil in icons and has a sword, which personifies his readiness to fight the dark forces In Russian Orthodoxy, Saint Michael has been revered since ancient times By analogy with his heavenly status, he was the patron of princes and warriors in their military exploits Confirmation of the respectful attitude are the temples in his honor, erected in all major cities One of the most important buildings is the Archangel Cathedral in Moscow It was erected in the 14th century under Ivan Kalita as the tomb of the great princes Later, by order of John III, it was rebuilt from a cramped and modest structure into a majestic structure, which became a role model in Orthodox architecture It became a worthy tomb for Moscow rulers, including the Rurik and Romanov dynasties The cathedral's paintings reflect not only the exploits of Archangel Michael and his army, waging an invisible eternal struggle against the forces of hell, but also include compositions reflecting earthly reality They narrate in images the struggle of Rus' with the Tatars, which symbolizes the connection between the heavenly and the earthly and is a distinctive feature of Orthodoxy Today, in honor of this bright holiday, believers can not only come to the temple, but also take part in the religious procession Other events dedicated to November 21 will not leave anyone indifferent These are “Mikhailovsky Days” - an international initiative against abortion and for the preservation of family values There are special prayers to the heavenly army and its leader in order to protect and deliver from troubles and any evil