When buying icons for a household, many people do not know which ones are needed and where they can be placed, or how to properly handle icons.

According to the Orthodox Church, an icon is a picture of God or saints, which reminds a person of the existence of the spiritual world. Icons are images through which believers turn to God. Icon veneration is not idolatry, as Christians do not pray to icons, but to those who are represented on them.

The first image of Christ was created by Christ himself to help Abgar, the ruler of Edessa. Jesus wiped a towel and his face appeared on the cloth. The first icon of the Mother of God was painted by Luke the Evangelist on the boards of the table at which Christ and his followers gathered for the Last Supper.

Russian Orthodox Christians believe that every home is a small personal temple, so icons are always given a place of honor. A shelf with icons is placed in the most prominent place, and in the old days their number and wealth indicated the wealth of the owners and their position in society.

Every Christian is supposed to read prayers, and looking at icons helps him concentrate and be distracted from worldly cares, turning his thoughts and feelings to the One to Whom the words of prayer are addressed.

Traditionally, holy images are placed on the eastern or southeastern side of the home. This is because the Scriptures often refer to Jesus as the Sun of righteousness or the Light of the World. For example, in the Gospel of John, Christ says of himself, "I am the light of the world; whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." So, the Church directly links these references to the east, that part of the world where the sun rises. In churches, the altar and the main icons are also placed in the eastern part.

"Icons in the home are placed in the 'holy' or 'red' corner, which is the corner of the house or apartment that faces east. As a rule, they are installed on a special corner shelf. In the older days they were decorated with embroidered towels and carvings," says Anastasia Vetkina, author of works on "The Bible in Art".

In log cabins of past centuries, the "red" corner was traditionally located opposite the front door. The upper part of the doorway was quite low, so that the person entering always seemed to bow to the images. In modern apartments, the layout does not always allow placing the red corner according to these rules, but a certain icon can be placed opposite the entrance door, or above the front door. 

Along with Communion, Chrismation, and Confession, Baptism is one of the great sacraments of Orthodoxy. That is when a person receives a Guardian Angel, called to protect, help, and accompany him until the transition to the next world. That is why the icon of the Guardian Angel should be present in every home of a Christian.

In the bedroom it is good to have an icon of Saints Peter and Fevronia, who are revered in Orthodoxy as patron saints of the family. Also, in this room it is customary to hang images of the Virgin Mary and the Savior, as they bless the young at the wedding.

"In the bedroom, a small corner shelf with a lampstand and a few images will suffice," says Anastasia Vetkina.

"Sometimes they say that spouses should not hang icons in the bedroom, and if they have them, they should be covered with a curtain at night. This is a misconception. First, no curtain can hide anyone from God. Secondly, marital intimacy in marriage is not a sin," said Dionysius Svechnikov, a member of the Diocesan Council of the Baku-Azerbaijan Diocese.

Icons of Jesus Christ and the Mother of God are placed in the red corner in the center of an icon shelf, above which only the icon of the Holy Trinity or the cross can be placed. If there is enough space, it is possible to complement the home iconostasis with an image of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, who is perticularly revered in Russia.

Most people have their meals in the kitchen, so icons of the Savior and the Virgin Mary, as well as that of the Last Supper would be appropriate there.

There are no strict rules about where one can and can not hang icons. However, "icons should be placed separately from other objects. Icons look extremely inappropriate in bookcases where secular books are kept, on shelves next to cosmetics, pictures of loved ones, toys, figurines, or are simply some kind of interior decoration. Works of Art, even on biblical subjects, should not be among the icons. Sometimes one sees pictures of priests, elders, monks, and people of righteous life among the icons. Canonically this is unacceptable because a photograph is a picture that captures a particular moment in the earthly life of a man," said archpriest Dionisy Svechnikov.

It is good to have an image of Jesus Christ as a reminder of the salvation of the human race, such as an icon of the Lord Almighty (Pantocrator), which depicts Christ with a book in his hand and a gesture of blessing. There are many icons dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Most of them depict the Virgin Mary with the Christ Child in her arms, but not all of them do.

The Orthodox Church does not forbid giving icons as a gift. "For a believing person it is a wonderful gift. However, it is important to consider it, as it should come from the heart," says Ilya Bolgov.

You can also buy and sell icons. There is no sin in that. The only thing is not to spend the proceeds on alcohol and gambling.

Icons have always occupied a special place in the lives of believers. It is important to treat them with respect and reverence. No one may swear, spit at the icon, burn, break, or throw it away.

It is necessary to handle icons with reverence and love.