page_title: Iconostasis of the Cathedral of Hajdúdorog
section_title: Wooden structure and ornaments
hierarchical_section_title: Iconostasis of the Cathedral of Hajdúdorog / Wooden structure and ornaments
caption_attribution_description: English: The picture is a sketch view of the iconostasis of the Greek Catholic Cathedral of Hajdúdorog, Hungary. The different colours mark the icons of the iconostase on different levels; so called tiers. The tiers from the bottom: 1. the royal blue icons mark the six paintings on the three doors of the iconostase. 2. The green colour indicates the seven icons of the base tier, or Sovereign. 3. The 12 royal red icons are on the Feast tier. 4. The 12 purple icons belong to the Apostles tier. 5. The yellow ones show the Prophets tier and finally 6. the azure coloured icons make up the vertical two icons above the Royal Doors and the Calvary Scene on the top of the iconostasis. Magyar: A kép a hajdúdorogi görög katolikus székesegyház ikonosztázionjának vázlatos rajzát ábrázolja. A különböző színű ikonok a képfal különböző szintjeit jelölik. Az ikonosztázion szintjei lentről felfelé haladva a következők: 1. A hat sötétkék ikon a fal három kapujának ikonjait jelöli. 2. A hét zöld ikon az alapsor, avagy a Szuverén képeit adják. 3. A 12 bordó ikon az Ünnep sorhoz tartozik. 4. A 12 lila festmény az Apostoli sort alkotja. 5. A 12 sárga ikon a Próféták sorát gazdagítja. 6. Végül az öt világoskék ikon egyrészt a királyi kapu felett függőlegesen elhelyezkedő két ikont, és a legfelső Kálvária jelenetet jelzi.
context_page_description: The iconostasis of the Cathedral of Hajdúdorog is the largest Greek Catholic icon screen in Hungary. It is 11 m tall and 7 m wide, holding 54 icons on five tiers. Creating such a monumental work of art requires a number of different craftsmen. Miklós Jankovits was hired by the Greek Catholic parish of Hajdúdorog in 1799 to carve the wooden framework, including the doors and the icon frames of the iconostasis. Mátyás Hittner and János Szűts could only start the painting and gilding works in 1808. The last icon was completed in 1816.
  The icons were painted clearly in Western style, quite unusual in Eastern rite churches. Instead of the traditional Byzantine iconographic depiction, the painters used the deep, rich colors, the intense light and dark shadows, and the eventful and realistic portrayal of late Baroque painting. The exact reason for turning towards the Western style is still disputed. However, Greek Catholicism by nature is closer to the Latin Rite, especially in 19th-century Hungary, where most of the population was Roman Catholic. Thus Western art and probably the Catholic rulers of the country, the Habsburgs, influenced the painters and the parish too.
context_section_description: The majority of Hungary's population is Catholic or belongs to a Protestant congregation. Eastern Orthodox traditions were therefore not very well established and most of the Hungarian iconostases bear the characteristics of an Orthodox country's artistic style. Jankovits, on the other hand, is the only iconostasis carving master who had a genuine, Hungarian technique. He mixed three different styles, all of which can be seen on the iconostasis of Hajdúdorog:
  Late Baroque shapes the dynamics of Jankovits' forms and ornaments
  Rococo - or Zopf style dominates the rich, jocular and light-hearted decoration of the icon frames, the lace-like holy doors and gilded ornaments
  Neo-Classicism determines the grandiose structure of the iconostasis: pillars, pilasters and antique capitals emphasize the Neo-Classical appearance
  In Jankovits' iconostasis, the three different styles are harmoniously combined. The wooden carvings do not drive the focus away from the icons, even though the ornaments are really characteristic and determining. Greek Catholic iconostases in the Carpathian Basin usually have two or three tiers. The icon screen in Hajdúdorog has five tiers in accordance with Orthodox traditions. This makes it one of the largest Greek Catholic iconostases in the region.
  
  The design of the iconostasis is similar to the Greek Orthodox iconostasis on Petőfi Square, Budapest. The supportive structure of the icon screen consists of robust, wooden beams 12 cm (4.7 in) wide. Vertically there are four beams, while horizontally a total of six hold the structure together. This massive framework keeps the iconostasis in a plane. Jankovits tried to break the monotony by projecting the columns and pilasters out from the iconostasis. He used tiered molding, a typical Baroque element, at the foot and capital of each pilaster and column to elevate them. The five tiers are divided with red marbleized moldings. Corinthian columns, lesenes, pilasters and corbels provide the vertical partition of the icon screen. These elements are marbleized with dark, grayish blue color.
  The rich, gilded ornaments of the iconostasis are Jankovits' real style-marks. He worked with lime wood, and carved his decorative elements in two artistic styles: Zopf style appears in vivid plant motifs; and Classicism is represented by geometrical patterns, like the ribbons on pilasters or the carved tassels on the doors. The foliage usually has additional significance in ecclesiastical art. Acanthus leaves, the most common motifs on the iconostasis, symbolize heaven and the eternal life. Olive plays an important role in Biblical stories and it has many religious aspects too. There are two large olive branches under the Calvary scene, on the top of the icon screen. It represents peace in the first place, but in the Old Testament it stands for blessing, wisdom, trust, faith in God, and grace of God too, in the story of Noah. The olive is the tree of life in Paradise, and it also refers to the healing power of the Blessed Virgin Mary, especially in Eastern rites where Mary's veneration plays an important role. Grape motifs decorate the icon frames and the holy doors. The Bible contains many examples of the symbolical meaning of vines and grapes. They can symbolize peace and well-being, and might refer to Israel, but in most cases the vine is a symbol of Jesus, its fruits representing the Apostles. Following the same symbolism, the vine can also refer to Mary, whose fruit is Jesus. The most common flower of the carved festoons is the rose, which is the symbol of Mary in Christian art. Tulips, the flower of the virginity and purity, appear in the festoons as well beside the rose heads.
  The structure of the three central tiers (Feasts tier, Apostles tier and Prophets tier) is similar. Their ornaments differ only in some minor details. The most conspicuous difference is the decoration of the pilasters. On the Feasts tier they are decorated with a twisted ribbon, in the row of the Apostles with two twisting ribbons that cross each other, and finally the Prophets tier is ornamented w
caption: Tiers of the iconostasis of Hajdúdorog: 1. Dark Blue – icons of the three doors 2. Green – images of the bottom tier, the so-called Sovereign 3. Red – the Feasts tier 4. Purple – the Apostles tier 5. Yellow – the Prophets tier 6. Light blue – the Calvary scene, and 2 icons from the midsection of the iconostasis (resembling to the Deesis)
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