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Greatmartyr Euphemia the All-Praised · Sebastiana, Disciple of St. Paul the Apostle
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Is the cross with the reverse slope of the bottom bar correct?translated

September 16, 2026 · 1 min read

Reader question:

Hello! On Orthodox crosses (in different periods), the so-called oblique crossbar can be made as top left - bottom right, and vice versa. There are many examples of this: these are crosses on graves, crosses on the domes of some churches, images of crosses on ancient frescoes, and even a plastic bottle for holy water. I’m interested in this question because on the grave of my great-grandmother, who died in 1950, there was just such a cross - with a reverse oblique crossbar. I couldn't find a direct answer to this question anywhere. There is either very little information on this matter, or there is an opinion that this is not of fundamental importance. I would like to know your opinion on this issue.

Vladimir

Priest's answer:

Priest Victor NIKISHOV

God bless you!

The oblique crossbar on Orthodox eight-pointed crosses is almost always depicted with the right end (relative to the crucified Christ) raised, and the left end lowered. But you claim that you have encountered crosses with a reverse slope.

According to some historical evidence, the foot of the cross was not made strictly horizontal, but with an inclination, so that the support was inadequate. This intensified the torment...

Source: Журнал ФОМА  ·  Read the full story →
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