Diskos

The diskos is made of gold-toned metal, in the form of a plate with a round, flat base and a wide rim decorated with a winding floral ornament of leaves. The bands of ornament are separated by an image of a six-pointed cross, beneath which is a symbolic depiction of the head of Adam in the form of a skull and crossed bones. Above the side arms of the cross are the letters "INRI" ("Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews"). To the left and right of the cross are the instruments of the Passion — a spear and a reed — marked with the letters "K" and "T" ("kopie" and "trost'," Ukrainian for "spear" and "reed"), respectively.

The diskos belonged to the pre-war collection of the Sloboda Ukraine Museum named after H. S. Skovoroda. During the Second World War it was evacuated and returned to Kharkiv in November 1944.

Note: the diskos is a liturgical vessel on which the portions of the prosphora are arranged for Holy Communion (the sacrament of the Eucharist). It is a round metal plate with a wide flat rim (it may have a low foot). During the Liturgy, the diskos is covered with the star (asterisk) and a veil.

The diskos represents the vessel from which Jesus Christ, at the Last Supper, took bread, broke it, and distributed it to his disciples with the words: "Take, eat; this is My body." The diskos is a symbol of the manger of Bethlehem, in which Jesus was laid after his birth. It is also a symbol of the Holy Sepulchre, since the Body of Christ rests upon the diskos.