"Unity of Purposes of the Christians"
 |
The chess - composition dedicated to the 2000th anniversary
of Christ's birth.
Author Mrs.
Elena Uralova
|
"Therefore
the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child
and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel." [Isaiah 7:14]
|
|
|
|
And He has Come - the Son of a Man, to Redeem
Sins of the Mankind.
|
- The mankind sank in sins from the very moment as:"...
The
woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to
the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it.
She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it."[Genesis
3:6]This scene opens the gallery of images which represents the long history
of the fall of man. Let us look through the first
part of the chess-board's siding.
Information from the Old Testament (preface of the New
Testament) was taken to be the basic to the plots of all the bas-reliefs
of this part of siding. The choice of themes was conditioned by the author's
purpose to development of the main topic of the composition and specificities
of wood- carving technologies.
- Fratricide:"Now Cain
said to his brother Abel, "Let's go out to the field," and while they were
in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him."Genesis 4:8]
- Paganism:"So
they took the bull given them and prepared it. Then they called on the
name of Baal from morning till noon. "O Baal, answer us!" they shouted.
But there was no response; no one answered. And they danced around the
altar they had made."[1 Kings 18:26]
- Human Sacrifices to False Gods "The Lord was grieved
that He had made man on the earth, and His heart was filled with pain."[Genesis
6:6]
- In the center of this side of the chess-board the Noah's
ark carried by the waves of the Flood.
"Every living thing on the face of the earth was wiped out; men and animals and
the creatures that move along the ground and the birds of the air were
wiped from the earth. Only Noah was left and those with him in the ark."[Genesis
7:23]
- Moses breaking the tables of Commandments." When
Moses approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, his anger burnt
and he threw the tablets out of his hands, breaking them to pieces at the
foot of the mountain."[Exodus 32:19]
- The Bronze Snake upon the pole and Moses, standing nearby.“The
Lord said to Moses,"Make
a snake and put it up on the pole; anyone who's bitten can look at it and
live."[Numbers 21:8]
- A warrior-invader shown against the backdrop of an
ancient city. This is to symbolize that the peoples of the world violated
the Agreement with the God and sink in wars and adultery. Jerusalem fell."
8On
the seventh day of the fifth month, in the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar
king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard, an official
of the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem. 9 He set fire to the temple of
the Lord, the royal palace and all the houses of Jerusalem. Every important
building he burned down." [2 Kings 25: 8-9]
Here the representation of plots of the Old Testament is put to the
end. The mentioned representation symbolized the epoch before Christ.
Carved on the other part of the
board's side are:
|
- The newborn Christ with Mary and Joseph bent over the
Baby: 10"And
the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good
news of a great joy which shall be for all the people;11 for today in the
city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ, the
Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will see a baby wrapped in
cloths and lying in the manger." [ Luke 2: 10-12]The baby's name had been
called Jesus: "And
she will bear a Son; and you shall call his name Jesus, for it is He who
will save His people from their sins." [Matthew 1: 21]
- A little bit higher there is an oval picture of Mary and little Jesus
Christ.
- The Mountainside Sermont" is the central plot of the
present part of the board's siding. Jesus, sitting under the tree and talking
to the disciples and people. The picture symbolises Jesus's desire to bring
the meaning of His words to every man and bring him back to the God: 1
"And
when He saw the multitudes, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat
down, His disciples came to Him.2 And opening His mouth He began to teach
them, saying,.."[Matthew 5: 1-2]
|
|
On the both sides of the bas-relief carved are:
- Saint George, fighting the serpent;
|
|
|
- Golgotha. The line of the plots is finished with the picture of Golgotha,
executioners and people present during Jesus's Crusifiction:
26 "And
the inscription of the charge against Him read, “THE KING OF THE JEWS."
27 And they crucified two robbers with Him, one on His right and one on
His left.
28 [And the Scripture was fulfilled which says,"And He will be numbered
with transgressors."]
29 And those passing by were hurling abuse at Him wagging their heads and
saying, "Ha! You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuilt it in
three days,.."[Mark 16: 26-29]
|
- Near, there is a bas-relief that depicts the
Savior crucified on the Cross:
44 "And
it was now about the sixth hour, and darkness fell over the whole land
until the ninth hour,
45 the sun being obscured; and the veil of the temple was torn in two.
46 And Jesus, crying out with the loud voice, said, “Father,INTO THY HANDS
I COMMIT MY SPIRIT" [Luke 24: 44-46]
|
| The great commission. |
1"After
the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the
other Mary went to look at the tomb...
5 The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are
looking for Jesus, who was crucified.
6 He is not here; he is risen just as he said. Come and see the place where
he lay.
7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He is risen from the dead and
is going ahead of you intoGalilee. There you will see him.' Now I have
told you.
8 So the women hurried away from the tomb... to tell his disciples."[Matthew
28:1, 5-7] |
|
16 "Then
the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told
them to go.
17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.
18 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth
has been given to me.
19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the
name of the Father and the Son and of the Holy Spirit
20 And teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely
I am With you always, to the very end of the age."[Matthew 28:16-20] |
|
And the disciples scattered over the world to spread christianity
[Acts]
Slowly but steadily Jesus' doctrine gained hearts and souls
of people. First christians were exposed to horrible persecuti- ons [Acts21-27]
However, even the first adepts of Christ alrea- dy had no unanimity towards
treating Christ's doctrine. [Galatians 1:6-9, 1 Corinthians 1:11-13][6]
Later on those con- tradictions continued. The quarrel has even come to
the point when Emperor Constantinus summoned the Universal Council in Nicea
(near Byzantium) in 325. The Council aimed to bring peace into relationships
between churches.“In the year 330 Constanti- ne the Emperor of Byzanthium
made Constantinopolis his residen- ce. That event played important role
for the future of Chris- tianity. Erection the Saint Peter's Cathedral
in Rome was a sort of compensation for Catholic community." [5, p. 37].
The branches of Christianity went further and further from each other.
We can see as many examples for that, as we want: The Universal Council
in Serdic (Sophia)in 343, Universal Councils in Constantinopolis in 381,
533, 680, 691,869.[5] The year 1054. One more conflict between Constantinopolis
and Rome.The affair has come to mutual damnation and excom- munication,
that like a seal countersigned the final shism between the great christian
communities- Eastern and Western ones or Orthodox and Catholic churches."[5,
p. 105]...
CENTURIES PASSED.
Catholic and Orthodox branches of Christianity grew stronger and fastened
Christianity can be compared to a bird in the "ocean of mankind", of its
passions, vices and characters. And the branches are like two wings of
the bird. Look at the birds of the sky: they hover in the air leaning on
two wings. And they do nopt have four or more wings. If we took away one
of the wings, a bird could not fly; tie the wings up, and the bird can
not take off the ground. If the wings were in coflict during the flight
the bird would fall down too.At the present moment, communicational and
informational relations between people, cities, countries and continents
extend in a disaste- rous way. We can compare the phenomena to "heating"
of the "ocean"; it becomes more and more "gaseous". Yet, about 50 years
ago the "ocean" could be compared to liquid, but now we can compare it
to a gas environment.An that is why Christianity in the "ocean of mankind"
has to be more and more mobile and maneuverable; however it must not lose
its original destination. And its wings must not be tied up neither separately
nor toget- her, they are not to have conflict between each other. Catholic
and Orthodox churches are equal in the "flight" of the bird.
|
|
Description of the Chess-pieces.
Namely the idea of unification (but not
being the same) of two great branches of
Christianity is the foundation of theme of the present chess-composition
and, as well as wings of the bird are equal in flight.The Pieces are executed
in two tones: yellow (color of memory of Christ) and violet (color of memory
of The Cross of the Lord).
- King - tsar of Orthodox states, the symbol of
peoples of peoples and lands of Eastern Europe.
- Queen-tsarine of eastern lands, symbol of life
and continuation of generations in those lands.
- Officer - -
Patriarch of Russian Orthodox church.
- Officer - -Catholic bishop with the Scripture
in his hand
- Knights - dragons, mounted by slavonic
warriors fighting them. These are symbolizing struggle of St. George against
the Serpent.
- Rooks - Wooden chamber-towers surrounded with
fence, symbilizing eastern lands.
- Pawns (5 pcs) - Orthodox monks. Some of them are
praying, some are reading the Scripture.
- Pawns (3 pcs)- .Catholic monks, praying.
|
- King - king of western states, symbolof peoples
and lands of Western Europe.
- Queen - queen of western states, symbolizing life
and continuation of generations in those lands.
- Officer - Pope,
the head of Catholic church.
- Officer - Orthodox Mythropolith with the
Holy Scripture in his hands.
- Knights - dragons mounted with Roman warriors
fighting them. These are symbolizing struggle of St. George against the
Serpent.
- Rooks - stone castles like ones in the centers
of settlements and towns of Western Europe.
- Pawns (5 pcs)Catholic monks. One of them are humbly
putting their hands together in prayer, the other ones are readins the
Scripture, etc.
- Pawns (3 pcs)Orthodox monks doing the same.
|
|
When the board is shut, the parts of its siding
are one(of the Old testament) below another {of the New Testament). But
when spread, the plots of the siding depict the long way of the mankind
from the moment of the Original Sin until the terrible Crucifiction of
Jesus Christ for the sins of all people. Each bas-relief of the siding
is seen through thick vine-leaves which are the symbol of life. We look
through the leaves as if it were ages past since the times of the events
described.The hooks that are to lock both sides into a chest are executed
in the shape of the Copper Serpents on the banner: "14
“And
as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son
of Man lifted up;“
15 that whoever believes may in Him have eternal life.[John 3: 14-15] |
|
| Conclusion.
The theme represented by Elen Uralova is performed as a chess-
composition for the first time. That's why it can provoke different judgements
and treatings. We would like to ask you to remember that the author while
creating the set has been led only by good will and motivations.
The chess-set is a mean of expressing the idea. This is not
a chess-set for games, but a souvenir. But what
if the first symbolic game will be played by heads of the churches? We
believe that it could be a good sign for all the peoples of our planet.
.But if someone despite all above will in a way become suspicious
towards our motivations may he remember: "8...
bat
no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison
9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father,and with it we curse men,
who have been made in God's likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise
and cursing. My brothers,this should not by." [ JAMES 3:8-10.]
|
| The List of Literature Sources.
|
The work is accomplished in August of the year 1999 A. D. S. Uralova.
|
