Home Iconostasis: How to properly set up your icon corner at home

Almost every Serbian Orthodox household has at least one icon. But many families – especially in the diaspora – wonder: Where exactly does it belong? Which icons are needed? And in what order should they be hung? Serbian Orthodox tradition provides clear answers to these questions, based on the example of the church. In this article, we summarize what the church and its clergy recommend.

What is an icon corner?

The word Ikona (icon) comes from Greek and means image or likeness. However, an icon is not a decoration or an ordinary picture: it is a window to the depicted – to Gospod Isus Hristos (the Lord Jesus Christ), to Presveta Bogorodica (the All-Holy Mother of God), or to a saint. When praying before an icon, one addresses not the image, but the one depicted on it.

According to ancient understanding, every Orthodox home is a small church. Just as the Hram (church) has its iconostasis, the home has its kućni ikonostas (home iconostasis) – a fixed, honorable place where the family's icons are gathered and where prayers are offered. In old Serbian houses, this corner had a specific name and was never blocked or misused.

Where do icons belong?

The basic rule is: Icons belong on the east wall of the main room – that is, the living room or the room where the family spends most of their time. The reason is the same as in church: Orthodox Christians pray facing east, towards the rising sun, which symbolizes Christ as the light of the world. Churches themselves are also oriented towards the east.

Because apartments and houses are not built like churches today, the east wall is often not free – there are windows, doors, or furniture. In this case, the following applies:

• If the east wall is not possible, the icons go on the south or north wall.
• The west wall should be avoided if possible.
• On the chosen wall, the icons should be given a central, prominent place – not somewhere on the edge.

Just as important as the cardinal direction is the dignity of the place. The icon corner needs peace and quiet. Therefore, the hallway by the front door, where jackets, keys, and bags hang, or the spot directly above the television, are unsuitable. In a small apartment, a quiet corner of the living area is better than a formally correct but restless wall.

Which icons belong in the icon corner?

The core of the home iconostasis consists of three icons:

1. The icon of Gospod Isus Hristos
2. The icon of Presveta Bogorodica
3. The Slava icon – the icon of the family's Krsna Slava saint

Clergy recommend two correct arrangements:

First possibility (following the example of the church iconostasis): The Slava icon hangs in the middle – where the Carske dveri (Royal Doors) are in the church. To its left (from the viewer's perspective) hangs the icon of the Bogorodica, and to its right, the icon of Hristos. This arrangement corresponds to the iconostasis in the Hram and is the preferred recommendation of the clergy.

Second possibility: The icon of Hristos hangs in the middle, with the Bogorodica on the left and the family's Slava icon on the right.

Both variants are correct. If the family possesses other saint icons – such as Sveti Nikola, Sveta Petka, or Sveti Georgije – these are arranged to the left and right of the central icons. Size can also play a role: If the Slava icon is significantly larger or smaller than the others, for aesthetic reasons it may hang in the middle, with the Kandilo burning before it.

What else belongs in the icon corner?

Traditionally, the items belonging to the family's prayer and spiritual life are gathered around the icons:

• The Kandilo (oil lamp) or a candle, burning before the icons – especially on Sundays and holidays, at Slava, and during prayer
• A sprig of Bosiljak (basil), which in Serbian tradition is strongly associated with holy water and church feasts
• A small bottle of Bogojavljenska vodica (Theophany water from the church)
• A cross
• The prayer book (Molitvenik) and Tamjan utensils (incense), if the family burns incense at home

Thus, the wall with icons becomes a true place of prayer: here the day begins and ends with morning and evening prayers, here the family lights the Kandilo at Krsna Slava, here children learn the sign of the cross.

An important note: the Osveštanje

A newly purchased icon is consecrated (osveštanje) by a priest after purchase – either in one's own parish or during a priest's home visit. Only through this consecration in the church is the icon incorporated into the prayer life. If you are unsure, it is best to ask the priest of your parish – he will be happy to help and knows the local practice.

The icon corner in the diaspora

Especially far from home, the home iconostasis is more than just tradition: it is a visible sign that faith has traveled with them. Whether in Zurich, Vienna, Chicago, or Sydney – the corner with the icons, the Kandilo, and the sprig of Bosiljak connects the family with the church, with their ancestors, and with the Krsna Slava, which is passed down from generation to generation. It doesn't require a large house or an expensive collection. It needs a quiet corner, three icons, and faithfulness to daily prayer.

Sources

• eparhija.com – Kako postaviti ikonu na zid
• Novosti / Magazin Novosti – Na koji zid u kući treba okačiti ikonu
• Kurir – Gde u kući treba da stoji ikona (Auskunft eines Protojerej der Serbisch-Orthodoxen Kirche)
• Superžena / B92 – Gde tačno treba da stoji ikona u kući