Dear Tikhon! Thank you for your comment. Unfortunately, the interpretation that we borrowed from another source cannot be called correct. We have reviewed the materials of the seventh Ecumenical Council, and indeed found no specific prohibitions on building sculptures in churches. This topic is mentioned in passing in the epistle of the Holy Patriarch Herman. It says that although the Lord did not reject the legacy of the pagan custom and even performed miracles through brass statues of God, Eastern Christianity (which later became Orthodox) adopted icons as a more “appropriate” form of representing the Lord, the Mother of God, and the saints. Thus, although the Council does not formally prohibit or condemn sculptures, the Catholic and Orthodox traditions have taken different paths in this regard.

There is nothing wrong with placing candles in front of a sculpture of the Holy Virgin, offering prayers and showing reverence for the Person, and not for the stone. In the centuries-old tradition of the Russian Orthodox Church, where in the 18th century there were indeed official bans on sculptures in churches, three-dimensional figures never took root. However, we do not think ill of them. As mentioned in the article, we sometimes erect monuments near churches and monasteries as a sign of special veneration and for silent education of the people.

We apologize if our article has misled you in any way; we have corrected the article.