Artos

Yesterday the monastic prosphoric sisters baked the first batch of artos at St. Seraphim-Diveyevo monastery


Artos is a special large cylindrical prosphora, on top of which an imprint of the icon of the Resurrection of Christ is made with a special baking seal. In the typikon, artos is called whole prosphora. On the one hand, this name means that no particles were removed from the pascha prosphora for making the proskomedia. On the other hand, it is a symbol of the integrity of the Church, redeemed by the blood of the Lamb and sanctified by the Resurrection of Christ.


The tradition of using artos dates back to apostolic times. When, on the fortieth day after the Resurrection, Jesus Christ ascended to heaven, His disciples and followers gathered for a common prayer and, remembering the Last Supper, partook of the Body and Blood of Christ. During the common meal, the disciples traditionally left the first place at the table to the Teacher, who was invisibly present among them, and laid bread on this place.


Continuing the apostolic tradition, the first priests of the Church established the tradition on the feast of the Resurrection of Christ to place bread in the church as a visible expression of the fact that the Savior who suffered for us has become for us the true bread of life.


In St. Seraphim-Diveyevo monastery, his tradition is preserved: during all of holy week, the artos is placed near the open King's Gate, and after each Divine Liturgy the priesthood, sisters and parishioners make a procession with the artos along the holy canal. Then, when the troparion is sung, it is brought to the refectory. The artos even today symbolizes the invisible presence of Jesus Christ in our lives. After the meal the artos is offered and then during the singing of the 9th hymn of the paschal canon it is taken back to the church. On Saturday of the holy week, the artos is cut, after which it is distributed to all the parishioners.


Baking artos is a complex and lengthy process. Artos dough is practically the same as prosphora dough, it contains the same ingredients: water, flour, salt and yeast.


The sisters work in two shifts. The baked artos are cooled down and in the morning they are taken to the refrigerator for storage until Pascha.


For one pastry, the sisters make eight artos. Two baked goods are made a day.