The rarities of the Presidential Library reveal a history of major Christian holiday

On the eve of the main Christian holiday - celebrated this year on May 1 Easter - the Presidential Library presents rare, revealing the origins of Easter books, colorful postcards and other devoted to this great day materials.

The celebration of major Christian holidays is preceded by six days of preparations, which symbolize the last days of Jesus Christ on Earth. These days have gotten a name of the Passion Week. The Presidential Library’s stock is offering a rare edition of "The Passion Week and Easter", which reveals the meaning of each day. All six days before Easter are called the Great ones, however, the last day - Saturday - takes a special place in the Orthodox Church. The book says that the Holy Saturday is a day, when the main event, the resurrection of Christ, was predicted. Services begin as early as Friday afternoon. Shroud of Christ is brought to the middle of the church, and in the evening service is held, during which the Cross Procession with the Shroud go around the temple. After the sacred procession a reading of Holy Scriptures begins.

The biblical story of the resurrection of Jesus Christ is told in the book of V. Nechayev "Friend of the People." In this edition, which is available in the collection of the Presidential Library, contains author's explanation of the spiritual component of a past event. It says: "Why does the Holy Church sing: having seen the Resurrection of Christ? Of course, there is certainly no physical vision, which means that we have not seen it with eyes, how the resurrection our Savior was happening; but a spiritual vision, a vision of the eyes of faith is meant."

For many, Easter is associated with the exchange of colored eggs. According to the Orthodox Church tradition, St. Mary Magdalene put a beginning of this custom. She came to the Emperor Tiberius, and talked to him about the life, miracles and the teachings of Christ, and the unjust condemnation. The Emperor doubted the miracle of the resurrection, and asked for a proof. Then she took the egg and giving it to the Emperor, said: “Christ is Risen!" At these words, a white egg in the hands of Tiberius turned bright red.

Festive worships and religious rites ate particularly solemn. On this bright day the traditional Easter greeting "Christ is Risen" can be heard, the accepted answer to which is "Truly He is Risen!" There is an interesting explanation for this long-standing tradition in "The Passion Week and Easter" book: "The joyful Easter greeting reminds us of the state of the Apostles, in which they, when news of the resurrection of Christ has suddenly passed, with amazement and joyful delight were asking one another "Christ is risen!" and responding "Truly He is Risen!"

Despite the universal nature of the event for the Christian world, Easter traditions may differ to some extent. Among the one of the most famous in the Orthodox Church rites is anointing. In the XIX century the substance itself, chrism, were getting ready precisely during Passion Week. On the pages of "The Holy Week and Easter" the author describes this ritual: "In Kiev and Moscow on Holy Thursday chrism gets consecrated. The consecration of chrism is going on Holy Week as follows: during the first great three days - Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday - preparation of chrism goes. The composition of the ointment can be created from different materials as a sign of the diversity of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Currently, it includes the following materials: a balm, a white wine grape, styrax oil, incense - a simple white and a black, mastic, pink flowers, basil, roots - violet, white, ginger, cardamom, thick muscatel oil...” and many more. After the mixture was ready, it sprinkled with a holy water, and bishop consecrated it.

The Presidential Library pays great attention to the materials about the history of the Russian Orthodox Church. These can be found in the "History of the Russian Orthodox Church" collection, which widely covers the theme of Christianity, Orthodox holidays and the shrines.