Russian cross (religion) explained

The Russian cross is a variation of the Christian cross with two crossbeams, of which the higher one is horizontal and longer, and the lower one is diagonal.^[1]

At the Moscow church council in 1654 the patriarch Nikon of Moscow promoted the decision to replace the eight-pointed Orthodox cross (☦) with the six-pointed Russian cross, but that move combined with some other changes resulted in the raskol (schism) of the Russian Orthodox Church.^[2] In the 19th century the Russian cross was used on the coat of arms of the Kherson Governorate in the Russian empire, where it was named the "Russian cross". In the Russian Orthodox Church, the inclination of the lower crossbar of the Russian Orthodox cross is viewed as the crossbar of the balance, one point of which is raised as a sign of the penitent thief. The other crucified thief, who blasphemed at Jesus Christ, is indicated by the lower point of the crossbar, tilted downward.^[3]

Notes and References

1. Encyclopedia: Зайкоўскі. Эдвард. Пашкоў. Генадзь. Беларуская энцыклапедыя. Крыж. Cross. 11 June 2018. be. 1999. Беларуская энцыклапедыя імя Петруся Броўкі. 8. Мінск. 985-11-0144-3. 501. рускі праваслаўны (з 2 перакладзінамі, верхняя гарыз. даўжэйшая, ніжняя дыяганальная).
2. News: Лоўчая. Наталля. 29 August 2014. Масцiшча – лясная вёска. Maścišča is a forest village. be. Newspaper "Працоўная слава". Valozhyn. 11 June 2018. Стараверства не прызнала новаўвядзенняў рэформы, пры якой 8-канцовы крыж быў заменены на 6-канцовы. 12 June 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180612141128/http://psl.by/?p=15116. live.
3. Web site: Православные кресты: как разобраться в значениях. 26 September 2011. Православие и мир. АНО «Православие и Мир». Москва. ru. The Orthodox crosses: how to understand the meanings. 11 June 2018. 2 July 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180702204416/https://www.pravmir.ru/kak-razobratsya-v-izobrazheniyax-kresta/. live.