AllatRa by Anastasia Novykh 2 www.allatra.org

AllatRa by Anastasia Novykh
the cross of the central dome of the temple as a symbol of the Holy Spirit. In the history
of twists and turns of the temple in Polotsk, it is mentioned that in the 18th century there
was even an attempt to remake the temple in the honour of the Descent of the Holy
Spirit. The dove is already a substitution by the people of an older top of the cross – the
“AllatRa” sign in the form of a crescent with its horns pointing up and a circle above.
Earlier, the dove was depicted with its wings outspread. When a person looked up at the
cross of the cathedral, instead of the dove he saw a sign which was visually created by
the raised wings and the little head of the dove (in the form of a crescent with its horns
pointing up and a circle).
Secondly, the original of those copies – Saint Sophia’s Cathedral in Kiev – was built not
on its own but as a part of a complex. The four “City Gates” were built along the
corners of the Cathedral at the same distance from it, and they were also marked with
signs. Although it will be more correct to say that they were gates to the so-called Upper
town, which was located on Old Kiev mountain, which is now the central part of Kiev.
Anastasia: So, the four gates around Saint Sophia’s Cathedral in Kiev make a diagonal
cross similarly to the four Aspects, where the Cathedral itself is the centre as a symbol
of the Soul.
Rigden: Precisely. In the religious symbolism of Christianity, gates are entrances
leading from the forechurch to the temple, and from the temple to the altar. The main
gate of the Old Russian iconostasis in an Orthodox temple were located opposite the
throne (in the altar) and were called the “Holy Gate” in the meaning of spiritual and not
political supremacy. Usually, in its upper part, the Annunciation scene with Archangel
Gabriel and Virgin Mary was depicted, and the bottom part had four Evangelists in pairs
on the wings of the doors. So, the opening of the Holy Gate at certain moments of the
service symbolises the “opening of the Kingdom of Heaven”, that is, an entrance, a pass
to another, spiritual world. And this symbol did not appear without a reason. This energy
process of the “opening” of a passage into another world really takes place during the
spiritual work (both individual and collective) of strong spiritual individuals, regardless
of what religion they belong to and in which country they live. By the way, in ancient
times among the peoples of, for example, Kievan Rus, the “opening of the gate” of the
city meant let someone into the city; in case of enemies, it meant the capture of the city
or the wish of the city dwellers to lay down their weapons. If a chronicle mentioned the
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