The home altar is a place for prayer and meditation. For centuries, in Russia, the main, large, saint or red was called the corner in which the home iconostasis was located. The goddess or the kyot (kivot) was hung on the east side, just as the altar was placed in the church, since the East in the Christian tradition has a special symbolic meaning.
Try to place the icon in the east corner of the room or on the east wall of the building. According to the Bible, it was in the East that the star of Bethlehem was lit and from there the sign of the second coming will come. If this is not possible, simply select a location that will be visible from the threshold of the room. There should be enough space around it so that during a joint prayer, believers (if there are several of them in the house) do not touch each other, do not crowd in front of the images. Avoid placing the icon next to the symbols of social life - paintings, posters, wall decorations. The proximity of icons and household appliances, especially a TV and a computer, is not permissible. It is best to put the icon on a specially suspended shelf for it, since there may be other religious objects next to it, such as candles, a bottle of holy water, myrrh, sometimes next to the icon put palm, birch or willow branches, flowers. In addition, it is customary to hang not one icon, but several at once - the central one with the face of the Savior, on the right hand of it is the icon of the Virgin with the Child. In the home icon case, there are often wedding icons, icons with the patron saints of family members, a family or house icon. It should also be borne in mind that in front of the icon or icons, an icon should be lit, illuminating the faces of the saints. The home iconostasis is crowned, if possible, by a cross. Often believers do not limit themselves to an icon or a few in only one room, but place them in each room. It is customary to decorate the separately hanging icons with embroidered towels. They are also placed in the "red" corner, so that they are visible from everywhere in the room. You can put an icon on a bookshelf, but only on condition that religious literature is stored on it, and in the entire bookcase, and not secular books - novels, textbooks, reference books, etc. It is unacceptable to put icons in so-called "hills", even if there are ceremonial porcelain and expensive figurines stored there. Orthodox Christians pray before and after a meal, therefore, an icon of the Savior should also be placed in the dining room or in the kitchen, if the family eats there.
