Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

The Moscow adjective in the name was the result of two reasons: the secrecy of the location of plant No. 82 and the location of Tushino near Moscow; the letter TB was traditional at that time trolleybus designation.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

The total number of MTB-82 produced exceeds five thousand vehicles.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

This allowed the MTB-82 to occupy a dominant position among the trolleybus models that operated in the USSR in the 1950s.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

The bulk of trolleybuses of this type was decommissioned in the late 1960s and early 1970s.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

The last MTB-82s were suspended from working with passengers at the end of 1983 in Kutaisi.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

Several preserved MTB-82s in various cities of the former USSR as of 2015 are museum machines.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

History


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

The trolleybus, which appeared in the USSR for the first time in 1933, did not stop its development during the Great Patriotic War.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

In 1941-1945, trolleybuses were opened to passenger traffic in a number of rear cities of the USSR, for example, Kirov (see Fig. Kirov trolleybus), Baku, Odessa.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

The victorious end of the war could not be conceived without the restoration and development of the severely destroyed or fairly degraded transport infrastructure of Soviet cities.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

The trolleybus at that time was considered as an advanced solution to transport problems in comparison with “semi-obsolete” trams and its development was actively supported at the highest state level, sometimes even to the detriment of tram facilities.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

Therefore, the demand for rolling stock for the trolleybus lines being restored and newly built was very high, but in 1945 there were no enterprises for the production of trolleybuses in the USSR.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

The plant in Yaroslavl, which produced YATB trolleybuses before the war, was converted to the production of military products and did not return to their production after the Victory.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

However, the sharp reduction in the production of weapons and ammunition that followed soon made it possible to switch the released production facilities to the needs of the country's civil economy.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

Accordingly, in 1945, the Academy of Public Utilities of the USSR developed projects for trams, trolleybuses and buses of various types to meet the country's needs for rolling stock for public transport.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

These projects provided for advanced technical solutions at that time, but life made significant adjustments to their implementation.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

The country needed the simplest and most technologically advanced rolling stock, since after the war, the overall level of qualification of personnel of transport facilities was often insufficient to operate complex cars.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

The development and production of new trolleybuses was entrusted to Plant No. 82 of the People's Commissariat of Aviation Industry in Tushino near Moscow.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

The pre-war YATB-5 trolleybus, which did not go into production, served as a basis for the new car, and, guided by the above considerations, the plant workers made only the most necessary changes to its design in order to start serial production of trolleybuses so necessary for the country as soon as possible.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

The new machine, called the MTB-82, generally repeated the YATB-4 according to the concept - a structure with a supporting frame on which the body was installed, an indirect non-automatic rheostat-contactor system current control through a traction motor (TED), abundant use of pneumatic devices.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

The main innovation in the design compared to pre-war trolleybuses was the all-metal hull made of riveted steel sheets.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

Initially, the hull with its shape repeated the design of the YATB-4 with a dihedral iron-shaped frontal tip (MTB-82A version), but in the course of improving the design of the trolleybus, the tip was replaced with straightened vertical; the body became aluminum (the legacy of the aviation specifics of the plant).


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

The body design is borrowed from the American General Motors bus of 1940, a Soviet-made ZIS-155 bus has a similar body.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

This is how the most massive modification of the MTB-82D appeared, which was produced before discontinuation without any serious changes in the design.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

At the end of 1949, Plant No. 82 again received a large military order, which required all its capacities.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

However, the need for trolleybuses has only increased — in the first peaceful years, several more farms were opened in various cities of the country.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

Therefore, by the decision of the Council of Ministers of the USSR, the production of MTB-82D trolleybuses was transferred to St. Engels of the Saratov Region to the Uritsky Plant (ZiU), where there were opportunities for their large-scale production.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

On May 1, 1951, the first MTB-82 was assembled at ZiU, and by the end of the same year, 25 trolleybuses were shipped to consumers.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

By 1955, the production volume had been increased to 320 cars per year.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

Due to the simple and technological design of the MTB-82, there were no special problems with its production.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

On the other hand, in the mid-1950s, it became clear that the MTB-82 no longer met the requirements of the time, despite all its advantages.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

The pre-war construction has completely exhausted its development reserves.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

The agenda included the issue of developing large-class trolleybuses with a load-bearing body, an automatic current control system through TED, and the implementation of conditions for increased travel comfort for passengers and the convenience of the driver.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

In the latter respect, the MTB-82 does not stand up to any criticism at all - narrow doors and passage through the center of the cabin, small windows, the absence of a front storage area, disproportionately large and driver's cabin freezing through and through in winter.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

All this was due to the fact that at the time of the creation of the MTB-82, there was only a question of ensuring passenger transportation, and the requirements for the comfort of the trip were practically not taken into account.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

Therefore, since 1956, ZiU began work on the creation of a new machine.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

After the experimental TBU-1, the ZiU-5 was built and successfully tested, a new generation trolleybus that implemented all the technical solutions mentioned above in its design.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

As soon as approval was received for serial production of the ZiU-5 in 1959, the MTB-82D continued to be produced in small batches until 1962.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

The body panels of the MTB-82 trolleybus were used in the development of a new model of the MTV-82 tram car.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

The reason for this was the lack of axles and engines to complete the released bodies.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

As a result, the plant assembled elongated bodies and placed them on tram bogies, equipped accordingly.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

The impromptu turned out to be not entirely successful — the “broad-minded” MTV-82 trams did not fit into the size everywhere, and later trams with a narrowed front end were produced.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

The design of the tram and trolleybus varies quite a lot, and the degree of unification of these vehicles is small.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

In the case of MTB-82 and MTV-82, only body parts and a number of auxiliary devices of electrical and pneumatic equipment were unified.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

Starboard view


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

Left Back View


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

Front view


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

Front right top view


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

Production


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

As mentioned above, mass production of the MTB-82 was launched from 1946 to 1950 at Plant No. 82 of the People's Commissariat of Aviation Industry and from 1951 to 1962 at the Uritsky Plant.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

However, the volume of cars produced by this brand has not yet been determined.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

Since Plant No. 82 was a secret enterprise, the trolleybuses produced on it did not have serial numbers and plates, its documentation was classified and, accordingly, was not published in open sources.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

Nevertheless, according to a number of indirect signs, it can be argued that the volume of trolleybuses produced at Plant No. 82 was significantly less than at ZiU (at least because of the motivation to transfer production to potentially Higher capacities and longer production time).


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

The archives of Trolza CJSC are also closed to the general public, but according to the official website of the enterprise, ZiU — Trolza CJSC has produced a total of more than 65,000 trolleybuses.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

Of these, more than 42,000 are ZiU-9 of various modifications, about 17,000 are ZiU-5, and the remaining ~5,000 fall on the share of MTB-82.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

Together with an uncertain but significantly smaller number of Tushino MTB-82s released, this makes it possible to assert that the total number of MTB-82s built exceeds 5,000 units.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

The visual difference between the “Tushino” cars and the “Engels” cars was the frontal emblem: the first were decorated with a characteristic T-shaped “bird”, and the latter were decorated with a stamping with a five-pointed star.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

On the basis of the MTB-82, the Sokolniki Car Repair Plant (SVARZ) redesigned and produced some other types of trolleybus rolling stock.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

Pre-war vehicles of the YATB series at this enterprise were also converted to the body and equipment of the MTB-82, but in a slightly different form than the Tushino MTB-82M.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

This version of the modernized trolleybuses was called MTB-10.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

Subsequently, SVARZ produced SVARZ-TS trailers and articulated trolleybuses based on the MTB-82.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

Work in cities of the USSR and abroad


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

The MTB-82 was centrally supplied to the vast majority of trolleybus farms in the USSR operating in 1946—1960.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

Since at that time there were no other domestic manufacturers of trolleybuses, except for Plant No. 82 and ZiU since 1951, until its discontinuation, the MTB-82 was a non-alternative option .


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

In the MTB-82 trolleybus farms that already existed by 1946, they worked together with pre-war YATB vehicles, and in the newly created before 1960, they were the pioneers of traffic and occupied a monopoly situation — there were no other brands of rolling stock there.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

Even after the start of mass production of the ZiU-5, the share of MTB-82 remained significant for a long time.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

MTB-82 worked in Moscow, Leningrad, Kiev, Minsk, Gorky, Krasnoyarsk, Chisinau, Baku, Kuibyshev, Kharkov, Voronezh and many other cities of the USSR.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

After the end of serial production of the MTB-82, they worked on city routes for a long time and were written off most often not because of the technical condition (it more than allowed further operation), but as obsolete cars.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

Due to the availability of supplies of more numerous ZiU-5, and later the ZiU-9, it made no sense to try to keep the old cars.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

Therefore, mainly by 1970-1975. The MTB-82 disappeared from the streets of cities of the USSR, and the few remaining trolleybuses of this brand became service or museum cars.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

In some trolleybus farms in Georgia, MTB-82 operated until the early 1980s, and there were isolated cases in other trolleybus systems when the MTB-82 “stayed at work”.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

For example, in Gorky (1947-1971), the extremely narrow and small premises of depot No. 1 in the Nagornaya part of the city could not serve the overall ZiU-5, so until 1971 it worked only with the MTB-82, while in They were completely replaced by the ZiU-5 part beyond the river.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

MTB-82 also worked in a number of foreign countries of the socialist bloc: Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, Yugoslavia.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

Modifications


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

The main modifications of the MTB-82 trolleybus are:


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

The MTB-82A is the first version of the car with a steel body.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

This modification is easily distinguished by the dihedral “iron-shaped” frontal tip on the model of pre-war YATB-4 trolleybuses.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

The MTB-82A was equipped with a DK-201 TED with a capacity of 74 kW.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

The MTB-82M is the first version of the car with a steel body and a vertical front sheet, similar to the ZIS-155 bus.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

The MTB-82M was equipped with a DK-202 TED with a capacity of 78 kW.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

Early trolleybuses had headlights spaced at the corners of the body (the so-called. “hammerfish”).


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

The MTB-82D is the main mass version of the trolleybus, launched into production in 1948.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

Due to the technological features of the plant, the body material was replaced with aluminum, the engine was replaced with a more powerful DK-202B with a capacity of 80 kW (some sources mention 86 kW), in this regard, minor changes have been made to the electrical equipment scheme.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

MTB-10 — modernization of pre-war vehicles of the YATB series by lengthening the frame and installing the body from the MTB-82M (and later MTB-82D) in 1946—1948. The trolleybus modernized in this way practically did not differ in appearance from the original MTB-82M or MTB-82D and had a slightly larger mass compared to them.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

There was also a version of the MTB-VSHV for servicing the excursion line at the All-Union Agricultural Exhibition.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

These trolleybuses differed outwardly from production cars in the absence of small oval windows for standing passengers, since the main windows were increased in height until the end of the roof bevel.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

The rounded sides of the roof were equipped with a longitudinal horizontal line of decorative lights.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

At the SVARZ plant, at least ten such machines were converted in this way (park numbers in the range 1750-1780).


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

Some of the serial “export” MTB-82 had a different design of the frontal tip from the standard one — a large chrome-plated decorative grille.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

However, there is no data on whether such registration was made at the plant, or whether it was a local amateur activity.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

Project evaluation


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

At the time of its appearance, the MTB-82 was a classic trolleybus in its class and, with the exception of the all-metal body, did not have any noticeable innovations in its design.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

On the other hand, the use of technical solutions tested by many years of practice and the lack of savings on materials made it possible to obtain an exceptionally simple and reliable machine.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

Veteran drivers of Nizhny Novgorod trolleybus depot No. 1 sometimes told newcomers skeptically and even on the verge of excitement that the ZiU-5 and ZiU-9 are as sissy as novice drivers.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

As a kind of “test for professional suitability”, the newcomer was offered to launch the MTB-82, which had been in reserve for a long time, into the line, which “grew the grass in the cabin”.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

Good knowledge of technology, the simple design of the MTB-82 and its undemanding environmental conditions made this task, although difficult, but quite feasible.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

After a long downtime, the ZiU-5 and ZiU-9 required much more serious intervention.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

However, this was the end of the list of advantages of the MTB-82.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

The list of shortcomings of the MTB-82 was much more extensive, and this concerned both the driver's work and the comfort of passengers.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

The frame structure together with the body had a large mass: this figure for the MTB-82 was 9.25 tons, and for the ZiU-5 - 9.8 tons. At the same time, the latter was a higher class — a large-capacity trolleybus, and not an average trolleybus, like the MTB-82.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

There was no power steering on the MTB-82, which required great physical strength and endurance from the driver.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

Also, the driver was obliged to clearly follow the time sequence of switching on the starting resistances during acceleration.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

Although the control system was protected against incorrect activation of them, each position of the controller had a certain turn-on time limit.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

Its excess was fraught with overheating and combustion of starting braking resistances.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

Of the running positions, only the 8th and 11th allowed unlimited driving time, so the MTB-82 driver's control of the stroke pedal must be honed to automatism.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

The constant change in the positions of the controller during acceleration and braking did not have the best effect on the driver's fatigue.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

Therefore, the introduction of automatic servo control when switching starting braking resistances was one of the most important requirements for the next generation of trolleybuses.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

In winter, the disproportionately large driver's cab was poorly heated; according to the memoirs of Nizhny Novgorod women drivers, “a counselor sits, wrapped in a fur coat like a quochka”, and drives her car like a tank, looking through a narrow inspection gap in the icy windshield of a low-power window heater.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

Passengers had almost no comfort when traveling on the MTB-82.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

Very narrow doors and the absence of a front storage area made it difficult to enter and exit, carry bulky luggage or a baby stroller.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

The passage between the double row seats in the middle of the cabin was narrow, and the seats themselves were very close to each other.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

Suffice it to say that the MTB-82 had 38 seats with a full capacity of 86 people, and the ZiU-5 had 35 and 112 seats, respectively.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

Low windows made it difficult for standing passengers to see (and in the absence of a radio broadcasting point, there was no other way to find out the right stop except by looking out the window), the low ceiling made it difficult for people to travel tall.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

Design description


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

Frame and body


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

The MTB-82 trolleybus is a framed machine: all components and assemblies are mounted on a frame that perceives all static and dynamic loads, providing the necessary strength the entire trolleybus as a whole.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

The MTB-82 frame consists of two longitudinal spars and several transverse trusses interconnected by welding.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

All the main components and assemblies of the trolleybus are attached to these power load-bearing elements - the body, the DK-202B traction engine, the beams of the front and rear axles on a suspension of semi-elliptical leaf springs, pneumatic compressor and cylinders for compressed air.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

The MTB-82 body was a welded skeleton made of bent profiles of various thicknesses and sections, lined with aluminum body panels that were riveted to the supporting structures of the body frame.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

The body was attached to the trolleybus frame and, in principle, can be replaced with another one in case of any damage.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

From the inside, the body was lined with finishing plywood, and to improve the aesthetic perception of passengers, a number of metal parts (handrails, handles, window elements) were chrome-plated.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

The plank floor was laid on the frame and covered with a rubber coating.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

For access to a number of units and assemblies, hatches were made in the floor.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

In the MTB-82, soft sofa seats (on springs) type were installed.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

During mass production, the frame and body of the MTB-82 remained almost unchanged.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

The body has two door portals: one at the rear end, the other behind the front axle wheel arch.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

Screen doors are installed in door portals.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

Boxes for pneumatic drives for opening and closing doors are installed on the inner side of the body above the door portals.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

The driver's cab is separated from the passenger compartment by a flat bulkhead with an entrance door and two windows.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

Outside, the trolleybus body at the factory was painted with car enamels according to the standard scheme: the sides and skirt are rich blue, the top is yellow.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

Other coloring schemes were, as a rule, depot amateur performances on the ground.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

Nizhny Novgorod Museum MTB-82 reproduces the factory painting scheme for trolleybuses of this type.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

In general, the frame and body of the MTB-82 had a more than sufficient margin of safety and longevity.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

Good production discipline of the late 1940s — 1950s and attention to the quality of products made it possible to reduce to zero the effect of potentially destructive electrochemical corrosion aluminum body from contact with the steel frame.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

The Nizhny Novgorod Museum MTB-82, after 20 years of operation and the next 20 years of standing in an abandoned state in the open air, has quite satisfactorily preserved its building.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

Although it is currently also exhibited outdoors, its body and frame are carefully painted to avoid further corrosion of materials.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

Bridges


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

The MTB-82 is a two-axle trolleybus, in which the rear wheels are the driving wheels, and the front wheels are used to set and change the direction of movement.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

Wheels, semi-axles, brake and suspension elements are assembled into a separate structural unit — the so-called bridge.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

Both bridges are suspended from the MTB-82 frame on semi-elliptical leaf springs.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

The front and rear axles differ significantly in design, as, in addition to general functions, they perform their own specific tasks.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

The front axle is less massive and complex in design than the rear axle; it contains a mechanism for turning the wheels.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

The rear axle consists of a massive beam that covers the axle shafts of the wheels and the main gear of the worm type, which transmits torque from the propeller shaft from the traction motor to the semi-axles of the wheels.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

Pneumatic equipment


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

The MTB-82 trolleybus was equipped with a rich set of pneumatic equipment to ensure the operation of many components and assemblies of the machine.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

It included a compressor driven by an auxiliary electric motor, a filter for cleaning the outside air, storage tanks, an electropneumatic pressure regulator in the system, mechanical emergency bleed valve in case of failure of the pressure regulator, the main line and consumers of compressed air.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

The latter included pneumatic actuators for drum brakes on both axles of the trolleybus, mechanisms for opening and closing doors, and windshield wiper drives.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

Electrical equipment


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

The electrical equipment of the MTB-82 trolleybus is powered directly from a two-wire trolleybus contact network with a voltage of 550 V by means of movable current collector rods.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

It consists of:


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

DK-202B mixed excitation traction motor (TED);


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

starting brake resistances;


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

group rheostat controller contactors;


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

driver controller (traction motor reverse);


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

a radio reactor for suppressing interference with radio reception;


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

motor-compressor of the pneumatic system of the machine;


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

outdoor lighting, light and sound signaling circuits;


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

interior lighting chains for the passenger compartment and driver's cab;


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

passenger compartment and windshield heating chains.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

Some of the devices consuming electricity are low-voltage, but the MTB-82 does not have a low-voltage subsystem completely electrically isolated from the contact network.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

Instead, various consumers are connected in series with each other in such a way that the total voltage drop across them is 550-600 V. For example, passenger compartment lighting lamps with a nominal value of 120 V are connected in this way; some of the single power consuming devices are connected via restrictive (ballast) resistance.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

In the event of a loss of voltage in the contact network, separation of the rods from it, or in a parking lot with the rods lowered, emergency lighting of the driver's cabin and cab, an audible signal, an external light alarm can also receive power from batteries.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

Although under certain conditions it is possible to pass electric current from batteries through TED, the movement of the MTB-82 due to the energy stored in the batteries is impossible — limiting resistances and low voltage of the batteries do not allow obtaining sufficient starting current and torque.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

The main components of the MTB-82 electrical equipment are the DK-202A traction motor with a capacity of 80 kW and a control system for the electric current passing through it.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

The DK-202B engine is a collector-type electric motor and mixed excitation.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

The excitation winding consists of two circuits, one of which is connected in series with the rotor circuit, and the other in parallel.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

This makes it possible to take advantage of both types of excitation in one motor.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

The current control system through TED is a rheostat-contactor (RKSU) non-automatic indirect (the so-called group rheostat controller).


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

All switching of power circuits from starting braking resistances and TED is performed by the driver by means of a pedal-controlled controller.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

The controller includes reverse, starting and braking subsystems.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

During their course, the pedals close and open the service control circuits with a voltage of 100 V. Contactors are connected to these circuits, which switch the starting braking resistances in the TED power circuit.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

Thus, some separation of the driver from high-current circuits is organized in order to improve electrical safety.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

The controller has a special blocking system that excludes options for closing the contactors, leading to the passage of excessive currents through the TED and starting braking resistances, as a result, clearly incorrect driver actions (for example, pressing the pedals and brakes at the same time).


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

Starting braking resistances limit the current through the TED, thus controlling its rotational speed and developed torque.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

In the braking mode, the RKSU forms a closed circuit disconnected from the contact network from TED (operating in the electric generator mode) and braking resistances included as a load.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

The current arising in this circuit creates oppositional magnetic fluxes inside the stator and rotor of the TED, leading to the appearance of a mechanical moment of force that tends to stop the rotation of the rotor.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

Thus, electrodynamic braking of the trolleybus is realized.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

The MTB-82 has a limited possibility of regenerative braking — the TED connection at the last running position is organized in such a way that when the maximum speed of 55 km/h is exceeded (for example, when driving downhill) it cannot exceed a certain angular velocity of rotation and gives excess energy to the contact network.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

Thus, it stabilizes the speed of the trolleybus at the maximum level, slowing it down when it is exceeded.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

Braking system


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

The MTB-82 trolleybus was equipped with three types of brakes (not counting the regenerative one mentioned above, since it cannot be used to slow down the trolleybus at speeds below 55 km/h) — electrodynamic, pneumatic and manual mechanical parking.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

The last two are inherently the drives of the shoe and drum brake mechanism on both axles of the machine.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

When braking and stopping, they worked in the following sequence: first, the trolleybus was braked electrodynamically, its kinetic energy was transformed into TED into electrical energy and dissipated into the form of heat on the starting brake resistances.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

At low speeds, electrodynamic braking lost its effectiveness and the trolleybus was braked by a shoe-drum brake - the pads were pressed by a pneumatic drive to the brake drum, and due to friction forces, the remaining part of the kinetic energy passed into thermal energy, heating the drum and pads.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

The stopped trolleybus was fixed in place by a manual parking brake.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

In the event of emergency braking, all three types of brakes could be used simultaneously.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

Where to see


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

There are no MTB-82 liners working with passengers in the space of the former USSR for a long time.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

However, several cars of this type were restored by enthusiasts of the history of transport, often from “undressed” hulls.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

In Russia, museum running MTB-82 are available in St. Petersburg (see Fig. Electric Transport Museum of St. Petersburg), Moscow (see Fig. Moscow Passenger Transport Museum) and Nizhny Novgorod.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

A small number of running vehicles are located in other cities of the CIS, for example, in Kiev, Minsk and Chisinau; non-self-propelled monument trolleybuses MTB-82 exist in a number of CIS cities and on the territory of the plant manufacturer in Engels.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

The Moscow MTB-82D and the recently restored trailer based on it are located in the closed territory of one of the city's trolleybus depots, but quite often participate in retro equipment parades.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

The St. Petersburg MTB-82D can be rented by everyone for excursions and walks around the city.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

Nizhny Novgorod MTB-82D stands in a clearly visible place on the exposition museum site on the territory of the city tram depot No. 1, but close access to it is limited — it is necessary to obtain it in advance permission from the depot chief.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

Most often, it is given to organized groups of tourists.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

He enters the line much less often than his counterparts in Moscow and St. Petersburg.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

Minsk MTB-82D stands in the open air on the territory of trolleybus park No. 2, participates only in parades of retro equipment and filming.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

Kirovsky MTB-82 is located in trolleybus depot No. 1. It was put into operation on April 24, 1953.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

It was written off on October 17, 1969.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

Mileage at the time of write-off is 980 thousand km.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

From April to October 2003, the trolleybus was restored by a team of KTU repairmen.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

MTB-82 in art


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

The MTB-82 trolleybus has repeatedly been included in the footage of feature films and documentaries shot in the 1950s, and has become one of the visible symbols of that era.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

Since almost all MTB-82s were painted blue, Soviet citizens of that time even colloquially developed a stable expression “blue trolleybus”.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

Since by the mid-1950s, all pre-war trolleybuses were either modernized to the MTB-82 level or decommissioned, the “blue trolleybus” clearly belonged to this brand of rolling stock.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

In this capacity, he repeatedly got into the poetic work of those years, for example, “The Song of the Midnight Trolleybus” by Bulat Okudzhava:


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

When I can't overcome the trouble


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

when despair comes


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

I get into a blue trolleybus on the move,


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

the last one, at random.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

The stage with the MTB-82 trolleybus opens with the feature film “The First Trolleybus”.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

The Minsk copy of the MTB-82 can be seen in the film “Hipsters” (this trolleybus is painted in a solemn white and red color, while all Minsk MTB, like trolleybuses of other Soviet cities, had yellow -blue color).


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

Yuri Trifonov's first novel Students (1950) begins with the description of the MTB-82: “He drove two stops from home in a trolleybus — in a new, spacious, yellow-blue trolleybus — there were no such stops in Moscow before the war. The comfortable chairs were upholstered in soft chocolate-colored leather and patterned plush. The trolleybus went smoothly like on water.”


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

Interesting facts


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

The world's first trolleybus train [1] was created at depot No. 2 by Kiev inventor Vladimir Veklich [2] in 1966 [3] using two MTB-82/82D trolleybuses [4], which were are interconnected according to the Vladimir Veklich system [5].


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

MTB trains are widely used.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

Only in Kiev, for the period from October 1967 to July 1968, 48 units were formed [6].


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

The economic effect of their implementation is only on route No. 6 in St. Kiev in 1968, where 25 MTB trolleybus trains were used, amounted to about 160 thousand rubles [7].


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

Technical characteristics of MTB-82 trolleybus trains [4]:


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

Specification nameValueTotal length21.73 mNumber of seats78Filling capacity per square meter of floor:4 people130 people8 people184 peopleAverage acceleration to exit rated performance1 m/s²Deceleration during pneumatic electric braking4 m/s²


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

Later, Vladimir Veklich improved its system so that it made it possible to quickly disengage MTB trolleybus trains right on the route between morning and evening rush hours.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

After disconnection, the train driver continued to move in the first trolleybus, and the driver of the train following him changed to the second.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

The vacant train remained on the route for sludge or followed to the depot for routine inspection [4] [8].


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

The MTB-82 trolleybus can be seen on the postage stamp “Motor transport” from the series “Russia. 20th century. Technique”, released in 2000 [9].


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

Notes


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

Literature


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

Veklich V. F. Train from MTB-82 trolleybuses controlled by the system of “many units”//Municipal Economy of Ukraine.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

— 1967.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

— NO. 2. — P. 37-38.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

— ISSN 0130-1284 (in Ukrainian)


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

Veklich V. F. The efficiency of using trolleybuses controlled by a system of many units.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

— Kiev: Knowledge Society of the Ukrainian SSR, 1969, 20 p.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

A. Shanin: MTV-82: one step forward, two steps back.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

— Almanac “Railway Business”, 2000, No. 4.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

References


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

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Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

,, MTB-82 from the Moscow Museum of Public Transport.


Question: What is the maximum speed of the MTB-82?

MTB-82

Category:Ziu/Trolley buses


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

This is an article about a Christian relic.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

For the cross as a symbol, see Crucifixion.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

For the city, formerly known as the “Holy Cross”, see Budyonnovsk.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

The Life-Giving Cross [1] (Greek: the True Cross, or the Cross of the Lord, or the Life-Giving Tree [2], is the cross on which, according to Christian doctrine, Jesus Christ was crucified.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

It is one of the instruments of the Passion of Christ and belongs to the main Christian relics.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

Apocryphal tales of the Cross


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

The Gospels do not provide much detail about the cross on which Christ was executed by crucifixion.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

It is mentioned as a ready-made object when describing Christ's carrying it to Calvary (for example, the story of the way of the cross from the evangelist Luke — Luke 23:26-31).


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

Apocryphal literature, unlike canonical texts, contains many details of the legendary history of the Life-Giving Cross.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

However, the history of the cross as a significant relic for Christendom, supported by reliable evidence, begins only with excavations carried out by Empress Elena Equal-to-the-Apostles and described by many early Christian historians.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

The cycle of legends about the Life-Giving Cross originated mainly in Palestine and has an ancient origin (early copies of the Gospel of Nicodemus date back to the 5th century).


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

The main emphasis in apocryphal tales is placed on the connection of the instrument of Christ's death on the cross with one of the trees of paradise and other events of the Old Testament [3].


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

The apocrypha also tells about the circumstances of the acquisition of the Cross (the apocrypha “Teaching of Addai the Apostle”).


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

Researchers believe that the authors of these legends did not aim to glorify this Christian relic, the significance of which has never been disputed.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

The goal was to show the origin of Christianity (which at that time was still a “young” religion) from an ancient tradition, literally “from Adam” [4].


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

The apocryphal story of the Life-Giving Cross is reflected in numerous images.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

The most complete cycle of depictions of this story was made in 1452—1465 by Piero della Francesca on frescoes in the main chapel of the Basilica of San Francesco in Arezzo.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

The Legend of the Three-Part Eight-Pointed Cross


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

In Greek, and then in Old Slavic hagiographic literature, there is a story about a three-part eight-pointed (octofinial) Cross.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

According to this account, Christ was crucified on the Cross, which was made of three parts, and each part was made of a different type of wood.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

The pillar of the Cross was made of cypress; the crossbar to which Christ's hands were nailed was made of pewg (pine); the “foot” was the lower crossbar on which Jesus' legs stood Christ, was made of cedar wood.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

As a confirmation of this explanation, the words from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah were quoted: “The glory of Lebanon will come to you, cypress and singing and cedar together, to decorate the place of My sanctuary, and I will glorify the foot My feet” ().


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

This legend is set out in Gregory's debate with Rabbi Yervan, placed in the Life of St. Gregory of Omiritsky, Bishop of Negransky (commemorated on December 19) [5].


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

The story of the three-part Cross was reflected in the liturgical texts of the Orthodox Church, in Oktoikha [6], in Minea [7], in the Lenten Triodi [8].


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

Bogomil legend


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

Bogomils is credited with one of the dualistic legends about the Life-Giving Cross, which tells about the creation of the world and the planting of paradise at the same time by God and Satanael [9].


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

According to this legend, God, when planting one of the trees of paradise, says to Satanael, “Here will be my body, and the tree will serve to expel you.”


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

When Satanael rejected God, when he came to see the tree of knowledge of good and evil, he was driven out of paradise by his mysterious power, and the devil became black for the first time [3].


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

The tree grew into three trunks, called the trunks of Adam, Eve and the Lord (in the center).


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

After the first men were expelled from paradise, the tree fell apart and only a part of the Lord remained in place.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

Part of Adam fell into the Tiger and was brought by water to the land of Midian, and part of Eve fell to Merra during the Flood.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

According to Bogomil legend, these two parts were used to make the Cross for the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

Zolotaya legenda


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

This text of the legend of the Life-Giving Cross has been preserved in the West as part of the Golden Legend, and in the East it is known only from a few Greek manuscripts.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

The basis of the story about the origin of the material for the Life-Giving Cross is taken from the apocryphal Gospel of Nicodemus.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

It tells us that when Adam was dying, his son Seth went to the gates of Paradise to receive oil of forgiveness and anoint his father's body with it.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

However, the Archangel Michael who appeared said that the oil of forgiveness to the whole world would be given in 5500 years (prophecy of the coming of Christ) and gave Sif a branch from the tree of knowledge of Good and Evil, the fruit from which Adam tasted at the time of the Fall.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

Handing over the branch, the archangel said: “If you can revive this dry fruit, you will be healed to it” [4].


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

Returning home, Sif found Adam dead and put a dry branch in his mouth (according to other versions, Sif put a wreath woven from this branch on Adam's head [10], or Adam himself, who was still alive by the time of Sif's return [9]).


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

Then a tree of three fused trunks sprouted from it, which continued to grow for thousands of years until the time of King Solomon.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

This king, having cut down a tree, tried to use it in the construction of the Temple in Jerusalem, but it did not fit due to its size.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

The timber was used in the construction of the bridge.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

When the famous Queen of Sheba paid a visit to Solomon, she knelt before the tree.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

After bowing, she predicted that the Savior of the World would be hanged from this tree, and therefore the kingdom of the Jews would come to ruin and end [4].


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

Then, instead of stepping on a tree, she waded barefoot across the stream [11].


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

Frightened Solomon ordered to bury the timber.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

The wood was found during the construction of a pool for washing the entrails of sacrificial animals.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

However, the water in it became famous for its healings, and it was turned into a healing bath (Bethesda, which had five covered passages).


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

After the arrest of Christ, a tree surfaced from the waters of the bath.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

It was decided to make a Cross from it for the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, namely a vertical supporting pillar.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

The cross bar, sign and foot were made of other types of trees.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

According to legend, the Cross was assembled from cypress, cedar and olive wood [12].


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

Russian apocrypha


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

The Russian apocrypha “The Word of the Cross Tree” (15th—16th centuries) contains the history of the Cross Tree, similar to the European Golden Legend, with the addition of legends about Moses and Lot.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

However, the queen who comes to Solomon is called Sibyl.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

When she came to see the tree Solomon had thrown away, she sat on it and was scorched by fire.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

After that, she said: “O damn drevo,” and the people standing next to him exclaimed: “O blessed drevo, the Lord will be crucified on him!”


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

[10] The Word of the Cross Tree also reports that the tree from the legend of Moses (see below) was used to make a cross for the crucifixion of the Mad Robber.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

In the Russian apocrypha, the Queen of Sheba is often called a sivil and in a number of sources she is credited with a prophecy about the fate of the tree rejected by Solomon during the construction of the temple:


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

Other legends


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

Related to Moses:


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

The legend is based on the history of popular murmur at the bitter-salty spring of Merra described in the Old Testament (Ex 15:23-25).


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

There are two versions of this story in the apocrypha.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

First, Moses planted a tree on the bank of the spring, brought from paradise during the Flood (see the Bogomil legend about the tree of Eve).


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

Second, an angel gave Moses the branches of three trees: aloe, cedar and cypress, and ordered them, weaving them together as a symbol of the Holy Trinity, to plant them on the shore.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

In both versions of the legend, the fate of the grown tree corresponds to the story described in the Golden Legend with King Solomon.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

Lot related:


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

This legend describes the origin of the tree for the cross of the pious robber, but in a number of versions it is associated with the origin of the Life-Giving Cross [9].


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

According to legend, Seth received from the angel not only a branch from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, but also another, which Seth later lit on the banks of the Nile, and it burned with unquenchable fire for a long time.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

When Lot sinned with his daughters, God told him to plant three bunts from that fire for redemption and water them until a big tree grew.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

The cross of a pious robber was made of this tree, or, after going through the path described in the Golden Legend, it became the material for the Life-Giving Cross.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

There is also a second legend about the origin of the tree for the Cross, related to Lot.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

When God appeared to Abraham in Mamra in the form of three angels, they left him three of their staffs before leaving for Sodom.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

Abraham gave them to Lot after his Fall with his daughters, ordering them to be planted in the vicinity of Jerusalem and poured water from the Jordan.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

Lot, in an effort to atone for his sin, fulfilled Abraham's errand — planted staffs in the valley, carried water from the Jordan himself, and fought Satan, who tempted him through thought.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

The staffs sprouted and grew into a triune pinya-cypress-cedar tree.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

Further, the fate of the tree repeats the story described in the Golden Legend [13].


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

The Orthodox Monastery of the Holy Cross, one of the oldest in Jerusalem, according to legend, was built where Lot planted the tree of the Cross.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

The silver circle in the chapel behind the main altar of the monastery church marks this place, which is revered as sacred.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

The discovery of the cross


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

Church historians' testimonies


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

Church historians of the 4th-5th centuries


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

The next cycle of legends, which already speaks of the acquisition of a historical church relic — the Cross, generally accepted by believers as the True One, dates back to 326, when it is believed that it was found to be a saint Queen Elena (mother of Emperor Constantine the Great) during her journey to Jerusalem for the purpose of pilgrimage and search for Christian relics:


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

... divine Constantine sent Blessed Elena with treasures to find the life-giving cross of the Lord.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

The Patriarch of Jerusalem, Macarius, met the Queen with proper honor and together with her sought the desired life-giving tree, being in silence and diligent prayers and prayers [14].


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

— “Chronography” by Theophanes, year 5817 (324/325)


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

Together with the Cross of the Lord Elena, four nails and INRI titles were found.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

This story is described by many authors of that time: Ambrose of Milan (c. 340—397), Rufin (345—410), Socrates Scholastic (c. 380—440), Theodorite Kirsky (386—457), Sulpicius North (ca. 363—410), Sozomen (ca. 400—450).


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

The earliest church historian, Eusebius of Caesarea (c. 263—340), in his Life of Constantine, reports in detail on the discovery of the “divine tomb”, but does not mention the acquisition The Life-Giving Cross, nor about the participation of Queen Elena in this event.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

According to his story, the cave where Christ was buried was found during the struggle against pagan temples.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

When, by order of Constantine, the mound of the temple was torn off to the “defiant demon of love” (that is, the goddess Venus), then “suddenly in the depths of the earth, beyond any expectation, an empty space seemed, and then Honest and the All-Holy Sign of the saving Resurrection. Then the most sacred cave became for us the image of the Savior who returned to life.” [15] Eusebius does not specify what the sign was.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

According to Eusebius, Queen Elena erected a church in Bethlehem near another cave where Christ was born in the flesh.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

Socrates Scholastik and Eusebius cite a letter from Emperor Constantine to Macarius of Jerusalem, where the emperor gives instructions for the construction of a temple on the site of the opening of the “sign of the holiest passions” [16].


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

However, Constantine does not name the cross in his letter, but speaks about the discovery of the holy


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

If the contemporaries of Queen Helena and Emperor Constantine do not report anything about the acquisition of the Cross, then already under his son Emperor Constantia (reigned 337-361), church circles firmly believe that the discovery took place under Constantine.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

In a letter to Constantius on the sign of the cross in heaven, Bishop Cyril of Jerusalem writes: “For under the Most God-loving, and blessed memory of Constantine Your Father, the Saving Tree was found in Jerusalem Cross: when he had the greatest jealousy for piety, through the assistance of Divine grace, he found secret Holy Places” [17].


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

For the first time in the surviving texts, the history of the discovery of the Cross appears in an expanded form with Ambrose of Milan in 395.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

In “The Word on the Death of Theodosius”, he talks about how Blessed Elena ordered to dig at Calvary and found 3 crosses there.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

From the inscription “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews”, she found the true Cross and bowed to it.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

She also found the nails with which the Lord was crucified, and put one of them in check and the other in a diadem [18].


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

A similar story is described in Chapter 10 of Rufin's Church History, which is a Latin translation of a fragment of the work of the same name by Gelasius of Caesarea [19].


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

The lost original Greek text of Gelasius dates back to about 390 and can be considered the first known account of the history of Elena's discovery of the Cross [20].


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

This story is generally close to Ambrose's story, but contains an insert with the miraculous healing of a dying woman — a “divine testimony” that confirmed the inscription on the cross.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

According to Rufin, the Cross was found at the site of Christ's execution, disguised as a statue of Venus.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

Elena builds a temple on this site, and sends the nails she finds to her son [21].


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

In its most developed form, the legend of the discovery of the Cross appears in Socrates Scholastica and Sozomen.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

Socrates himself reports about the source on the history of the discovery of the cross: “Although I wrote this by ear, almost all residents of Constantinople speak about the authenticity of this event.” [22]


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

The works of these historians formed the basis for subsequent descriptions of the acquisition of the Life-Giving Cross (in particular, in the Chronography” of the Byzantine historian Theophanes (760-818)).


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

On the basis of these historical evidence with the addition of apocryphal sources, the story of the discovery of the Life-Giving Cross was included by Yakov Voraginsky in his Golden Legend, which received a wide fame in the West.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

Date of discovery of the Cross


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

The question of the exact date when Elena found the Cross is controversial.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

The most common date is the date given by Socrates Scholastica - 326.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

Socrates does not name the year in which the discovery of the cross took place, but in his Church History, the story of the event comes immediately after the mention of the celebration of the 20th anniversary of Constantine's reign (July 25, 326) [22].


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

Orientalist Joseph Assemani (director of the Vatican Library) in the 18th century believed that the Cross was found by Elena on May 3, 326 (according to the Julian calendar) [23].


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

Russian theologian, Professor M. N. Skaballanovich, based on the Alexandrian chronicle of the VI century, refers the acquisition of the Cross to 320 [24].


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

At the same time, he categorically disagrees with the date of this event in 326, since according to a number of data, St. Helena died in 325, and not in 327, as previously believed [23].


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

Excavation site


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

All the few instructions of historians closest to the search boil down to the fact that the crosses were found near the Holy Sepulcher, but not in the Tomb itself.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

Although there was a Jewish ritual prescription that required that the tree on which someone was crucified be buried with the executed one, it could not be filled by reverent disciples Christ, they would not put the instrument of execution in His Tomb as a criminal [25].


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

There was a possibility that all three crosses used in the execution that day could have been buried near the place of the crucifixion [26].


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

Sozomen in his work makes the following assumption about the possible fate of the Cross after the removal of the body of Jesus from it: “The warriors, according to history, first found Jesus Christ dead on the cross and, having removed Him, they gave it up for burial; then, intending to accelerate the death of the robbers crucified on both sides of it, they killed their lower legs, and threw the crosses one by one, at random” [27].


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

Eusebius of Caesarea describes the excavation site as follows:


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

Some atheists and wicked intended to hide this saving cave from the eyes of people, with the insane intention of hiding the truth through it.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

After a lot of work, they brought land from somewhere and filled up the whole place with it.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

Then, raising the embankment to a certain height, they paved it with a stone, and under this high embankment they hid a divine cave.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

After finishing this work, they only had to prepare a strange, truly tomb of souls on the surface of the earth, and they built a gloomy dwelling for dead idols, a cache of the demon of voluptuousness Aphrodite, where unclean and vile altars were made hated sacrifices [28].


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

—Eusebius of Caesarea, Life of Constantine.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

III, 36


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

Socrates Scholastik also mentions the presence of the sanctuary of Aphrodite (Venus) on the site of the Holy Sepulcher in his work, saying that the whole of Jerusalem has fallen into desolation:


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

“Those who wise about Christ have honored this tomb since the time of passion; and those fleeing from Christ buried that place and, having built the temple of Aphrodite on it, erected an idol to destroy the very memory of the place” [22].


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

The Temple of Venus in Jerusalem did exist.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

It was built in the 130s by Emperor Hadrian, which led to a rebellion among the local population [29].


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

It is believed that the coins minted under Emperor Antonina Pie in Caesarea Palestine depict a statue of Venus the Victorious standing in her temple in Jerusalem [30].


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

Theophanes also mentions the fact of the construction of the Temple of Aphrodite on the site of the Holy Sepulcher: “After that, soon God indicated to Macarius the place where the temple of unclean Aphrodite was built and her statue was erected. God-married Elena, by her royal authority, immediately ordered a great many craftsmen to dig up to the ground and clean the site of the temple of Aphrodite, built for a lot of money by Elius in ancient times Adrian” [31].


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

The place where the Cross was found is located in the side-chapel of the Discovery of the Cross of the Church of the Resurrection of Christ in Jerusalem, in a former


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

It is marked by a red marble slab with the image of an Orthodox cross embedded in the floor, the slab is surrounded by a metal fence on three sides, and the Cross was stored here for the first time.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

22 metal steps lead down to the chapel of the Discovery of the Cross from the underground Armenian Church of St. Helena, this is the lowest and easternmost point of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, two floors down from the main level [ 32].


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

In the side chapel of the Discovery of the Cross, under the ceiling near the descent, there is a window marking the place from which Elena watched the excavations and threw money to encourage the workers.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

This window connects the side chapel with the altar of St. Helen's Church [33].


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

Eusebius of Caesarea wrote in the most detail about the excavations of the Holy Sepulcher, but he reports only one tomb cave [34].


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

In fact, at least two of them were found during excavations.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

The second cave is a crypt carved into a monolithic rock with two burial niches from the Second Temple period.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

This crypt was included in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher when it was built and today it can be seen in the Syrian chapel, 17 meters in a straight line west of the Holy Sepulcher.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

According to legend, secret disciples who buried Christ, Saints Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, were buried here [35].


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

According to researchers, a small Jewish cemetery could have been found during the excavations, and when Eusebius arrived in Jerusalem, he was probably shown only one tomb, which was identified like the Holy Sepulcher, and its neighbors have already been torn down or destroyed in order to highlight the right one [30].


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

Judas Kyriac's Help


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

According to the Golden Legend, the Jew Judas helped in the search for the Cross (after being tortured).


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

Later baptized under the name Kyriak (Quiriak), he later became Bishop of Jerusalem and was martyred during the time of Emperor Julian the Apostate [4] (the same story is given by church historians Sozomen and Grigory Tursky [36]).


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

Information about him as a bishop of Jerusalem is not confirmed by historians [37].


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

According to the Golden Legend, Judas was one of the Jewish sages, whose ancestor was the Protomartyr Stephen.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

After learning from his father about the location of the Cross, he said at the council of elders after Elena arrived in Jerusalem that the discovery of the Cross would destroy their religion and deprive Jews of superiority over Christians.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

At that time, the Jews forbade telling the Empress about the whereabouts of the relic, but after Elena threatened to burn them alive, they gave Judas.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

Elena threw him into a dried well, held him there for seven days, after which “he came to one place, raised his voice and prayed that a sign would be sent down to him. Immediately, the earth moved in that place, and a smoke of such marvelous sweetness came out that when Judas felt it, he struck his hands with joy and exclaimed: “Truly Jesus Christ, You are the Savior of the world! “” [30].


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

The story of Judas is based on Sozomen's report about a knowledgeable Jew who lived in the East [38], it became part of the official legend of the discovery of the Cross, only from a new perspective created by Yakov Voraginsky.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

Rufin, Pauline Nolansky [39] and Sulpicius Severus [40] also wrote about the involvement of local residents in the search for the Cross. However, later in the 7th century, John of Niki reported that the person who found the Cross for Elena was a certain Ablavius, “a zealous Christian, one of the most famous people [of the empire]” [41].


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

Identifying the authenticity of


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

During the excavations, accompanied by the appearance of a fragrance, three crosses were found — “one is the blessed one on which Christ hung, and the others on which two robbers were crucified and died” [42].


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

Bishop Macarius I of Jerusalem helped Elena in determining the True Cross:


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

He resolved his bewilderment by faith, that is, he asked God for a sign and received it.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

This sign was this: in that country, a wife was obsessed with a long-term illness, and was finally on the verge of death.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

The bishop intended to bring each of those crosses to the dying woman, believing that by touching the precious cross, she would recover.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

Hope did not deceive him.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

When two crosses not of the Lord were brought to her wife, the dying one was no better, and as soon as the third, genuine one, was offered, the dying woman immediately strengthened and returned to perfect health.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

The same story is given by Rufin [19], Theodorite [43] and Nikephoros [44] This version of the definition of the true Cross has become the most common in the East, and is also cited by the Byzantine chronicler Theophanes (760— 818): “To one woman of a noble family, desperately ill and half-dead, Macarius offered all the crosses, and recognized the cross of the Lord. As soon as his shadow touched the patient, breathless and motionless with divine power, she immediately stood up and glorified God in a loud voice” [14].


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

In the West, a more common version of the miracle that occurred during the establishment of the authenticity of the Life-Giving Cross is the story contained in the Golden Legend about the resurrection through its laying a dead man swept past the excavation site [26].


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

According to Armenian legend, the difference between the True Cross and the other two was that it flourished — flowers appeared on it, so the famous Armenian cross-khachkars have a floral pattern.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

The discovery of the cross, according to church historians, impressed not only Christians, but also Jews, so that some of them, like Judas from the Golden Legend, were baptized.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

An apocryphal story about the first discovery of the Cross


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

The apocryphal story of the first acquisition of the Life-Giving Cross is contained in the Syrian Teaching of Adday the Apostle, the full text of which is preserved in a manuscript of the 6th century (while excerpts dating back to the 5th century are known century).


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

This apocrypha refers the acquisition of the Cross to the reign of Emperor Tiberius, who, according to the apocrypha, the future Emperor Claudius “made the second person in the state” [45].


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

Claudius's wife, called Protonics in the apocrypha [46] (probably the name is associated with the Greek expression “Ancient Greek: prtis nika”), which, according to the author of the apocrypha, was to emphasize the primacy of this legend in relation to the history of the acquisition of the Cross by Empress Elena [47]), converted to Christianity in Rome by the sermon of the Apostle Peter, wanted to “see Jerusalem and the places where our Lord performed His feats” [48].


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

Protonica took her two sons and only daughter on a journey.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

Upon arrival in Jerusalem, she was greeted with imperial honors, but when asked to show her Calvary and the Holy Sepulcher, the Apostle James told her that they were under the supervision of Jews who “do not allow us go there and pray in front of Calvary and the tomb.”


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

Upon learning this, Protonica met with the Jewish elders and ordered them to hand over Calvary and the Holy Sepulcher to Christians, and then went there and found three crosses in the tomb.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

When she entered the tomb with her children, “her young daughter fell and died without pain, without suffering, without any cause for death.”


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

The death of her daughter was used to determine the true Cross of the Lord — Protonics prayerfully laid crosses on her daughter one by one, and after the laying of the True Cross, her daughter came to life and “glorified God who gave her life back through His cross.”


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

The life-giving Cross was handed over by Protonics to James, the first bishop of Jerusalem, and later buried during the time of Trajan (reigned 98—117) under Simon, the second bishop of Jerusalem.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

Queen Elena found the Cross for the second time.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

The legend of the first discovery of the cross exists only in Syrian literature and under its influence in Armenian literature.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

The image of Protonica is completely borrowed from Empress Elena, and the apocrypha itself was used (as part of the meeting of Protonics with Jewish elders) by Yakov Voraginsky when he wrote the Golden Legend [30].


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

Researchers came to the conclusion that the legend of the first acquisition of the Cross by Protonica is a later version that appeared in Byzantine Syria under the influence of the Greek legend of Elena and Kyriak [49].


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

There is also a Coptic version of this legend, which attributes the acquisition of the Cross to Empress Eudokia, wife of Emperor Theodosius II, who in the last decades of her life (441/443—460) spent in Jerusalem and spent large sums to improve the city.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

Historicity of the traditional version of finding the Cross


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

As mentioned above, the earliest evidence of the opening of the Holy Sepulcher is contained in the works of Eusebius of Caesarea, a contemporary of this event.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

However, Eusebius, who talks in detail about the opening of the tomb, does not report either about the discovery of the Life-Giving Cross, nor about the participation of Queen Helena in this event.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

According to Eusebius, Elena arrived in Jerusalem after the opening of the Holy Sepulcher.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

Describing Elena's construction activities, Eusebius also does not talk anywhere about her participation in the construction of the “temple to the Savior” on the site of the tomb [50].


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

Most modern historians, relying on the testimony of Eusebius, consider the version about the discovery of the Cross by Elena legendary [51].


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

Supporters of the legend of this version note that the first mention of the finding of the Cross by Elena appears only in texts of the late 4th century: a fragment from the “Church History” of Gelasius of Caesarea (about 390 ), preserved in the Latin translation of Rufin, and “The Word on the Death of Theodosius” by Ambrose of Milan (395).


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

Many researchers also consider the fact that the Cross was found during excavations carried out during the reign of Emperor Constantine as legendary.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

In addition to the testimonies of Eusebius, the legend of this fact may be indicated by the absence of mention of the Life-Giving Cross in the Itinerarium Burdigalense, the oldest surviving guides to the Holy Land, compiled by an anonymous pilgrim from Bordeaux who visited holy sites in 333—334 The pilgrim reports on the location of Calvary and the tomb of Christ, over which “a basilica was built by the order of Emperor Constantine”, but does not say anything about the veneration of the Cross [52].


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

According to many authors, the cult of the Life-Giving Cross arose between 333, when a pilgrim from Bordeaux visited Jerusalem, and the middle of the 4th century, when Cyril's “Public Words” Jerusalem (X, 19; XIII, 4) [53] the first evidence of this cult appears, and a little later, in his letter to Emperor Constantius, there is the first mention of the acquisition of the Cross at the time Konstantin [17] [30].


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

As for the legend about the discovery of the Cross by Elena, it was long believed that it originated in the west, but recent studies have shown that its origins are more likely to be sought in Jerusalem in the middle or the second half of the 4th century [54].


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

At the same time, a number of works published in recent decades [55] proposed a new justification for the historical reliability of the version about the discovery of the Cross during the reign of Constantine, however, by a significant part of researchers.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

Celebration


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

Exaltation of the Holy Cross


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

In honor of the discovery of the Cross, the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross was established, which got its name from the fact that Bishop Macarius I, in order for all believers to see the Cross, erected (that is, raised) it, turning to all sides of the world.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

The same was done with the Cross after its return in 629 from Persia after 14 years of captivity back to Jerusalem under Emperor Heraclia.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

The Feast of the Exaltation of the Honest and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord is celebrated by both Orthodox and Catholic churches on September 14 (according to the Julian calendar in some Orthodox churches, and Gregorian calendar in Catholicism).


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

Separately, there is a celebration in memory of Queen Elena's discovery of the Holy Cross and nails.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

In the Orthodox Church, it is celebrated on March 6 (according to the Julian calendar), in the Catholic Church on May 3.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

The origin of the Honest Trees of the Life-Giving Cross


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

Since the 9th century, a tradition arose in Constantinople “to wear out the Honest Tree of the Cross to roads and streets to sanctify places and avert diseases” [56].


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

In the 12th-13th centuries, this tradition entered the rituals of all Orthodox churches and the holiday was called “The Origin (Wear out) of the Honest Trees of the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord” [57].


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

The celebration takes place on the first day of the Assumption Fast — August 1 according to the Julian calendar.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

According to the Charter, it treats small holidays “with praise”, but has one day of pre-celebration.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

Transfer of a part of the Holy Cross to Gatchina


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

Since 1800, the Governing Synod has established for a feast in honor of “the transfer from Malta to Gatchina of a part of the tree of the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord, the Filerme Icon of the Mother of God and the gum hand of St. John The Baptist.”


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

The relics were presented to Emperor Paul I in 1799 by the Knights of the Order of Malta who arrived in Gatchina (45 km south of the center of St. Petersburg).


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

From the Priory Palace built for the Order of the Priory Palace in the fall of the same year, the shrines were transported to St. Petersburg, where they were placed in the Great Church of the Winter Palace [58].


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

The holiday is celebrated not only by the Russian Church [58], but also in a number of other autocephalous local Orthodox churches, including the Serbian Church [59].


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

In Russia, according to the current Typicon, St.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

John the Baptist; this holiday does not have a special liturgical following [60].


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

Locations


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

The period before the Crusades


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

Constantine's contemporary Eusebius of Caesarea, in describing Constantine's deeds, does not say anything about the acquisition and division of the cross, nor about Elena's role in the opening of the tomb, only notes that “in the most excellent of all the temples of the royal halls, in the gilded recess of the ceiling, in the very middle of it, he [Constantine] ordered the approval of a magnificent painting depicting the symbol of saving suffering [the cross], which was made up of various precious stones richly set in gold” [61].


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

According to Socrates Scholastica, Empress Elena divided the Life-Giving Cross into two parts: she placed one in a silver vault and left in Jerusalem “as a monument for subsequent historians”, and the other sent it to her son Konstantin, who placed it in his statue installed on a column in the center of Konstantinova Square.


Question: Where did Empress Helena find the Life-Giving Cross?

The Life-Giving Cross

Information about this, according to Socrates himself, was written by him “by ear” with reference to the conversations of residents of Constantinople.