SKOB!
For Plast members, stiyka at the plashchanytsia is a special moment that will be remembered for a lifetime.
In Ukrainian churches, Плащаниця (Plashchanytsia) refers to the Shroud or Epitaphios, a liturgical cloth or icon depicting the body of Jesus Christ after his crucifixion, lying in the tomb. It is used during Good Friday (Велика П’ятниця) and Holy Saturday services to symbolise Christ’s death and burial.
The Plashchanytsia is typically a richly decorated cloth or embroidered icon showing Christ’s body, often surrounded by angels or other figures. During the Good Friday Vespers, it is carried in a solemn procession and placed in a symbolic tomb in the center of the church. On Holy Saturday, it remains there for veneration by the faithful, who approach to kiss or pray before it, commemorating Christ’s time in the tomb before his resurrection.
The term “Плащаниця” comes from the Slavic word for a shroud or winding sheet, reflecting its role in representing the burial cloth of Jesus.
And, in fact, the Plast members play such an important role: on the one hand, they represent the guards of the Holy Sepulcher, and on the other hand, they show that they are faithful to God and serve him.
Around Australia, plastuny did stiyka on Good Friday and Holy Saturday.
