Pronunciation: [ˈɪstɒk] (IPA) 
The word "istok" is a Slavic term that means "source" or "origin." It is commonly spelled as "исток" in Russian, and the IPA phonetic transcription for the word would be /istɑk/. The first letter, "и," is pronounced as "i" in "sit," while the second letter, "с," is pronounced as "s" in "sun." The following letter, "т," is pronounced as "t" in "top," and the final letter, "о," is pronounced as "o" in "goat."
Istok is a noun that has its origin in the Serbian and Croatian languages. It refers to a religious term related to the Orthodox Christian faith. The word "istok" translates to "east" in English. In the context of Orthodoxy, istok represents the location of the rising sun, which symbolizes the direction of Jerusalem, the holy city for Christians.
However, istok has a deeper meaning in Orthodox Christianity. It signifies the divine and heavenly source of spiritual truth. The istok represents the place from which divine revelation originates, and it is associated with the essence of God and His divine energy. It serves as the foundation of Orthodox theology and as the ultimate authority for doctrines and practices followed within the Orthodox Church.
Furthermore, istok also refers to the eastern wall of an Orthodox church, where the iconostasis is located. The iconostasis, a decorative screen made up of icons, separates the nave from the sanctuary. This wall represents the connection between the earthly realm and the heavenly realm.
Overall, istok is a term with multifaceted meanings within the Orthodox Christian tradition. It encompasses both a physical direction (east) and a theological concept representing the divine source of truth and the connection between the earthly and heavenly realms.
The word "istok" has Slavic origins, specifically in the South Slavic languages such as Serbian, Croatian, Bosnian, and Macedonian. It comes from the Proto-Slavic word *istъkъ, which means "source" or "spring". The word can also be found in other Slavic languages, with similar meanings, such as "istykati" in Russian. Overall, "istok" refers to the origin or beginning of something, often used metaphorically to describe the source of a river or the origin of information or knowledge.
