home · On a note · What is the most ancient monastery in Russia. Lists of active male and female monasteries in Russia. The most beautiful, ancient and famous monasteries in Russia

What is the most ancient monastery in Russia. Lists of active male and female monasteries in Russia. The most beautiful, ancient and famous monasteries in Russia

Solovetsky Monastery is an independent monastery of the Russian Orthodox Church. It is located in the White Sea on the Solovetsky Islands. The foundation of the monastery dates back to the 40s of the 15th century, when the Monk Zosima and his friend chose Bolshoi Solovetsky Island as their place of residence. He made such a choice not by chance - the monk saw a church of unprecedented beauty. Recognizing his dream as a sign from above, Zosima began building a wooden temple with a chapel and a refectory. With its construction he honored the Transfiguration of the Lord. After a short period of time, Zosima and German built a church. With the appearance of these two buildings, which later became the main ones, the arrangement of the monastery territory began. Subsequently, the Archbishop of Novgorod issued a document to the monastery confirming its eternal ownership of the Solovetsky Islands.

The Holy Vvedenskaya Optina Hermitage is a stauropegial monastery, the servants of which are male monks. Its creator was the robber Opta, or Optia, who at the end of the 14th century. repented of his actions and accepted monasticism. As a clergyman he was known under the name Macarius. In 1821, a monastery was established at the monastery. It was inhabited by the so-called hermits - these are people who spent many years in complete solitude. The mentor of the monastery was the “elder”. Over time, Optina Pustyn turned into one of the leading spiritual centers. Thanks to numerous donations, its territory was replenished with new stone buildings, a mill and land. Today the monastery is considered a historical monument and has a different name - “Museum of Optina Pustyn”. In 1987, it was included in the list of objects of the Russian Orthodox Church.

The Novodevichy Convent, built in the 16th century, was at that time located on Samsonov Meadow. Nowadays this area is called the Maiden Field. The cathedral church at the monastery was built in the likeness of the Assumption Cathedral - the “neighbor” of the Moscow Kremlin. The monastery walls and towers were built in the 16th – 17th centuries. In general, the architecture of the monastery conveys the “Moscow Baroque” style. The monastery owes its fame to the Godunov family. Boris Godunov lived here before his election as king with his sister Irina. Irina Godunova took monastic vows with the name Alexander and lived in separate chambers with a wooden tower. At the end of the 16th century. The territory of the monastery was replenished with stone walls and a dozen towers. In appearance, they resembled Kremlin buildings (there were square towers in the walls, and round ones in the corners). Their upper parts were decorated with teeth. Today the Novodevichy Convent combines both a museum and a monastery.

The Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery is located on the shores of Lake Siverskoye. It owes its appearance to St. Cyril, who founded it in 1397. Construction began with the arrangement of a cell-cave and the installation of a wooden cross over it. In the same year, the illumination of the first shrine took place - it was a wooden church built in the name of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary. By 1427, there were about 50 monks in the monastery. In the first half of the 16th century. a new life begins at the monastery - all Moscow nobles and kings began to regularly come to it on pilgrimage. Thanks to their rich donations, the monks quickly built up the monastery with stone buildings. Its main attraction is the Assumption Cathedral. Appearing in 1497, it became the first stone building in the North. The monastery complex underwent various architectural changes until 1761.

The Valaam Monastery is a stauropegic institution of the Russian Orthodox Church, which occupied the islands of the Valaam archipelago (Karelia). The first mentions of it are found in chronicles of the 14th century. Thus, “The Legend of the Valaam Monastery” informs about the date of its foundation - 1407. Within a couple of centuries, 600 souls of monks lived in the monastery, however, due to repeated invasions by Swedish troops, the island began to decline. After another 100 years, the territory of the monastery began to be filled with cell buildings and auxiliary premises. But the main buildings of the monastery courtyard were the Assumption Church and the Transfiguration Cathedral. Wanting to create the New Jerusalem from their own monastery, the Valaam ascetics used the names of the New Testament period when arranging its sites. Over the years of its existence, the monastery has undergone many changes, and to this day it remains one of the attractive historical monuments of Russia.

The Alexander Nevsky Lavra was founded in 1710 at the junction of the Monastyrka River with the Neva. The decision to build it was made by Peter I himself, who wished to perpetuate the victory over the Swedes in 1240 and 1704 in this area. In the 13th century Alexander Nevsky fought against hordes of Swedes, so he was subsequently canonized for good deeds before the Fatherland. The monastery built in his honor was popularly called the Alexander Temple, and with its construction the expansion of the territory of the Holy Trinity Alexander Nevsky Monastery, or Lavra, began. It is noteworthy that the monastery buildings were located “at rest”, i.e. in the shape of the letter “P” and were decorated with churches in the corners. The landscaping of the yard consisted of a garden with a flower bed. The main holiday of the Lavra is the day of September 12 - it was on this date, back in 1724, that the holy relics of Alexander Nevsky were transferred.

The Trinity-Sergius Lavra was founded in the first half of the 14th century. Venerable Sergius of Radonezh, the son of an impoverished nobleman. According to the clergyman’s plan, the monastery courtyard was arranged in the form of a quadrangle, in the center of which the wooden Trinity Cathedral rose above the cells. The monastery was fenced with a wooden fence. Above the gate there was a small church honoring St. Dmitry Solunsky. Later, all other monasteries adopted this architectural plan, which confirmed the opinion that Sergius was “the head and teacher of all monasteries in Rus'.” Over time, the Holy Spirit Church appeared near the Trinity Cathedral, the building of which combined a temple and a bell tower (“like the bells”). Since 1744, the majestic monastery was renamed Lavra.

Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery is a monastic monastery in Murom, founded by the passion-bearer prince Gleb. Having received the city as an inheritance, he did not want to settle among the pagans, so he decided to establish a princely court above the Oka. Having chosen a suitable place, Gleb of Murom built his first temple on it - this is how he immortalized the name of the All-Merciful Savior. Later he added a monastic monastery to it (the premises were used to educate the Murom people). According to the chronicle, the “monastery of the Savior on the forest” appeared in 1096. Since then, many clergy and miracle workers have visited its walls. Over time, the Spassky Cathedral appeared on the territory of the monastery - through its construction, Ivan the Terrible immortalized the date of the capture of Kazan. To furnish the premises of the new temple, the tsar allocated icons, church utensils and literature, and clothing for ministers. The Church of the Intercession with chambers, a bakery, a flour shed and a cookhouse was built in the second half of the 17th century.

Seraphim-Diveevo Monastery is a convent founded in the 2nd half of the 18th century. At Mother Alexandra's own expense, the foundation of the Kazan Church was first laid. Pachomius, a master famous for the construction of the Sarov Desert, was in charge of its consecration as construction was completed. The church premises were equipped with 2 chapels - in the name of Archdeacon Stephen and St. Nicholas. Then the Trinity and Transfiguration Cathedrals appeared in Diveevo. The latter was built with substantial donations, because reinforced concrete was used in its construction for the first time (previously such material had not been used in the construction of shrines). But the main temple here is considered to be the Trinity Cathedral, in which the relics of Seraphim of Sarov rest. Everyone who wants to receive grace-filled help and healing specially gathers at the shrine with the relics of the monk.

Monasteries, as you know, are an integral part of the history and culture of Russia. Every ancient city in Russia delights residents and guests with a stunning picture - the majestic domes of temples, monasteries and cathedrals. The Russian Orthodox Church has about 804 monasteries, a number that deserves admiration and respect. Many people are interested in what is the most ancient monastery in Russia, we will try to figure it out in this article.

It is worth noting that the word “monastery” in translation means one, that is, such a building provides an opportunity to think alone with oneself about eternal life values.

The ancient Russian city called Novgorod played a huge role in the development of the entire state. It is in this city that the world-famous Yuriev Monastery is located. Many scientists believe that this particular building can be considered the most ancient monastery.

More specifically, the majestic structure is located on the banks of the beautiful Volkhov River. The presented monastery was founded by Yaroslav the Wise. Initially, the ruler erected a wooden church, and later the history of the Yuryev Monastery itself began.

It is worth noting that in Russia the monastery functioned as a fortress, since enemies besieged the walls of such a building for a long time. Unfortunately, it was the monasteries that were the first to take the blow during attacks and wars. Monasteries were also considered centers of education, because libraries, schools, and workshops were concentrated here. If hard times came, the monasteries distributed food and clothing to everyone who needed it.

As you know, the Russian Empire collapsed in the 20th century after the revolution. There was no place for religion in the USSR. As for the monasteries, they closed and went bankrupt, cafes and clubs opened in the buildings. The monasteries began their activities when the communists took power. New monasteries continue to open in Russia to this day.

The most famous monasteries

Novospassky Monastery is one of the oldest monasteries of the male type, which is located beyond Taganka. This monastery was founded in 1490, when Ivan I reigned.

The Boris and Gleb Monastery, dating back to the time of D. Donskoy, was also considered famous in Rus'. In addition, the people revered the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. Most likely, this monastery was the largest in Russia. This building played a big role in the development of Orthodoxy.

It is worth mentioning the Pskov-Pechersky Monastery, created in 1473. As for the monastery, it was surrounded by strong walls with loopholes and towers.

Suzdal monasteries are a real decoration of the Vladimir region.

Many scientists are confident that the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery in Murom can be considered the oldest in Russia. This monastery pleasantly surprises with its variety of icons with unusual narratives.

Each of these buildings, in various historical sources, claims to be the most ancient monastery in Russia.

Ancient temples of ancient Rus'

If we talk about churches, they occupied the most important place in the life of every Orthodox person. That is why great importance was given to the issue of building and decorating temples. As a rule, temples were built on hills, in the best place in the city. Temples were dedicated to Christ the Savior, the Life-Giving Trinity, the Mother of God, and also saints. Sometimes the name of the temple formed the basis for the name of the entire city. Temple-monuments were very often erected in places of memorable battles.

Temple construction was based on the development of the architecture of Ancient Rus'. Such majestic buildings as the Kiev St. Sophia Cathedral, the Novgorod St. Sophia Cathedral, the Assumption Cathedral of Vladimir and others are recognized as real monuments of world art.

Video: Veliky Novgorod. St. George's Monastery

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The oldest monastery in Russia is located in Murom. The territory of the monastery still resembles a construction site: the military unit not so long ago transferred the monastery to the spiritual authorities. The barracks and other buildings are all in the process of being remodeled and adapted to the monastic needs. The restored Transfiguration Cathedral surprises with the abundance of ancient icons with unusual subjects. This place on the high bank of the Oka still remembers the holy martyr Prince Gleb! The exact date of the founding of the monastery is not known, but it happened earlier than 1096 (that year the monastery was first mentioned in Russian chronicles)! First, Prince Gleb built a temple in the name of the Most Merciful Savior. In 1096, the son of Vladimir Monomakh, Prince Izyaslav, was buried in the monastery, who died in civil strife with the Murom prince Oleg (“Oleg went into the city, and put Izyaslav in the monasteries of the Holy Savior”). The old (Glebovsky) church no longer exists - too many historical storms swept over the monastery land: at the beginning of the 17th century. it was plundered by the Poles and Lithuania, and during the reforms of Peter I lost most of its property. The current cathedral (temple in honor of the Transfiguration of the Lord) was built in 1553-1556. according to the vow of Tsar Ivan the Terrible, who stopped at the monastery on his way to Kazan.

We are talking with the abbot of the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Murom Monastery, abbot Kirill (Epifanov), dean of the south-eastern district of the Vladimir diocese.

Father, the monastery is about a thousand years old, it is impossible to tell about its entire history. I would like to know about the post-revolutionary fate of the monastery.

The most important event that determined the history of the monastery was its dispersal in 1918. In general, the monastery was destroyed several times over its long history, starting with the Tatar-Mongol invasion. But no one could ruin it like the Bolshevik yoke. The then rector, Bishop Mitrofan (Zvezdinsky), was repressed, and the brethren were dispersed. The Bishop was accused of supporting the White Guard rebellion, although this was not the case: the Church was outside of politics, but supported the families of repressed or exterminated nobles and merchants. The monastery was one of the first to be liquidated in Russia, and until 1995 it was outside the service of the Church. But, undoubtedly, God's service mysteriously continued. All the temples have been preserved, although there was first a concentration camp on the territory of the monastery (in the 1920s), and from the beginning of the 1930s. - military unit.

- Is the history of the monastery being written?

It is very difficult to collect information, since Murom was a closed city, and it is now almost impossible to find anything. In 1934, a communications regiment of special subordination to the General Staff of the USSR Armed Forces was stationed here. In 1995, we received a monastery in ruins, and the barracks, despite funding, were also in a dilapidated state. This is paradoxical - apparently, the Lord was preparing the military unit for eviction. In 1996, the monastery turned nine hundred years old. The first mention of it in the chronicle dates back to 1096. There it appears as the Monastery of the Savior on Bor in Murom.

- What are the main shrines of the monastery now?

There were no holy relics in the monastery. Monasteries in the pre-Mongol era were founded by princes. Our monastery was founded by the holy noble prince Gleb, the son of the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir, the baptist of Rus' and the first Russian saint. Here, among the pagan Murom tribe, he built the first Christian temple of the All-Merciful Savior. This was the first Orthodox church in North-Eastern Rus'. On the site of his princely court (that is, the castle) this monastery was founded. Subsequently, this monastery became a missionary center. And the great shrine of our monastery today is the icon of the Mother of God “Quick to Hear.” This icon was brought from the holy Mount Athos by the rector of our monastery, Archimandrite Anthony (Ilyinov) in 1878. When he came to rule this monastery, the monastery was in ruins, and he placed all his hope in the Mother of God. I myself went to Athos, brought this icon, and the image of the “Quick to Hear” immediately began to work miracles. And he still works miracles.

- Father Kirill, please tell us about at least a few such cases.

She appeared, for example, to merchants and said: “Arrange me - and I will arrange your affairs.” The merchants equipped the temple, restored it, made rich deposits - and the Mother of God helped them in their merchant affairs. And today the miracles from this icon are simply endless... Here are just a few examples. There was a case: a soldier disappeared in Chechnya. Parents come and ask how to pray for him: for health or peace? We say: “Don’t pray as if you were dead, pray as if you were alive.” They order a magpie for the soldier’s health and pray. Then a message comes that his body has been identified; he died in battle. The Council of Veterans of Chechnya had already helped dig the grave, but at the moment when they were waiting for the galvanized coffin, he returned from captivity, alive and well. Another example. Recently a letter arrived from Siberia. In our monastery, people ordered prayers to the “Quick to Hear” for the health of a man who had been paralyzed for three years and had not even spoken. We served prayer services and sent a small copy of our icon to Siberia. And here in the letter is a confession: as soon as the patient touched our icon, he was immediately healed, and his first words were: “Mama Maria.” We thank God and the Queen of Heaven for all these miracles that happen for the benefit of people. When we serve prayer services to the Mother of God, there are more people in the monastery than on great holidays. I don't know if this is good or bad, but it is true. People are crying, people are on their knees, people are receiving a response from the Queen of Heaven herself.

- How many brethren are there now in the oldest monastery in Russia?

- There have never been many monks in our monastery, even before the revolution. It was an administrative center; its rector was always the Bishop of Murom. The monastery lived according to the Athos Charter. And then there were only ten monks in the state. And now it’s the same. But we have a very large missionary service, and we also involve parishioners in this work. In addition, we also have a special kind of inhabitants living in our House of Mercy. We have set aside a separate building for those people who are called “homeless people”. There are especially many of them in winter. These are the people who come from prison, without documents, these are the people whom no one needs. Naturally, they don’t stay with us for long. We help them obtain passports and undergo primary social rehabilitation. We treat them for scabies, diagnose tuberculosis and other serious diseases. This is a difficult mission, but completely ours, a monastic one. We must not lose these people. We have a lot of pilgrims. We leave up to 60 people a day in the monastery for the night. And how many people come without an overnight stay! So every day, confessors, communicants - there is a lot of work.

- The grace of God is clearly palpable in the monastery.

Yes, imagine - even in our ruins it feels like that. We have already consecrated three churches in the monastery, the main one of which is the Transfiguration Cathedral. There is also the Church of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary and in the rector’s building above the refectory the Church of St. Basil of Ryazan. It is interesting that just before our return to the monastery, eight years ago, there were cases where soldiers ran out of the barracks in horror, as there were apparitions of schema-monks who had already begun spiritually helping us in the matter of returning the monastery. A soldier comes into the quarters at night and sees a schema-monk standing with a cross. So the military authorities were simply forced to leave the monastery. After all, on this monastic land, the schematic prayer has been offered for a thousand (!) years. It's even hard to imagine. Holy, blessed land. Two Moscow Orthodox shrines also visited here in 1812: during Napoleon’s invasion, the miraculous icons of the Vladimir Mother of God (now this shrine is in the Tretyakov Gallery) and the Iveron Mother of God were brought here. In our monastery, St. Theophan the Recluse conducted services in the rank of Bishop of Vladimir. The text of the sermon he delivered is still kept in the monastery. His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Pimen was also here, but still in the rank of hieromonk, immediately after the SMERSH repressions. Served for just over a year in 1945-1946. in the only functioning church in Murom.

- How is the monastery connected with the name of Tsar Ivan the Terrible?

During his campaign against Kazan, Tsar John pitched his tent right next to the monastery. From this tent he watched the crossing of his troops across the Oka River. He prayed in the monastery and made a vow to God: if the campaign was successful, he would build a cathedral in the monastery. The Transfiguration Cathedral is the Cathedral of Ivan the Terrible.

- Your principles of the spiritual structure of the monastery.

The most important principle is found in the Gospel. This is the principle of love.
Melnik Vladimir Ivanovich, Doctor of Philology, Professor, Murom - Moscow

7 places of power that everyone should visit

There are places on earth, after visiting which they say that a person is charged with positive energy and begins to look at the world optimistically. Or vice versa - he learns a lot about the world and himself - a lot of new things. The paths of pilgrims from all over the world do not overgrow to such places.

I found an interesting site - Tips for budget travel!
There are news, travel notes, advice from a Low Cost expert (that’s the name of this site), economy routes, information about airlines, and online aircraft tracking sites, thanks to which you can track flights in real time. For me personally, this is a very important convenience that allows you to track flights in real time. Knowing exactly where the aircraft we are interested in is located is very convenient, especially in the absence of mobile communications. However, you can read about this in detail on the website itself.

So, 7 places of power that at least every Russian should visit.

The Holy Vvedenskaya Optina Monastery is one of the oldest monasteries in Russia, located on the banks of the Zhizdra River near the city of Kozelsk. The origins of Optina remain unknown. It can be assumed that it was built not by princes and boyars, but by the ascetics themselves, by calling from above through repentant tears, labor and prayer. What are pilgrims looking for in the Optina Desert? In the language of believers, this is called grace, that is, a special state of the soul that cannot be expressed in words.

Diveevo is called the Fourth Lot of the Mother of God on earth. The main shrine of the Diveyevo monastery is the relics of St. Seraphim of Sarov. The Holy Elder invisibly but clearly consoles, admonishes, heals, opening the hardened souls of people who come to him to Divine love, and leads to the Orthodox faith, to the Church, which is the foundation and affirmation of the Russian land. Pilgrims come to fetch holy water from 4 springs, venerate the relics and walk along the holy ditch, which, according to legend, the Antichrist will not be able to cross.

This monastery is rightfully considered the spiritual center of Russia. The history of the monastery is inextricably linked with the fate of the country - here Dmitry Donskoy received his blessing for the Battle of Kulikovo, local monks, together with troops, defended themselves against the Polish-Lithuanian invaders for two years, here the future Tsar Peter I took the oath of boyars. To this day, pilgrims from all over the Orthodox world people come here to pray and feel the grace of this place.

A small town, lost among the lakes of the Vologda region, for centuries has been the center of spiritual life of the entire Russian North. Here, on the shore of the lake, is the Kirillo-Belozersk monastery - a city within a city, the largest monastery in Europe. The gigantic fortress has withstood enemy siege more than once - two cars can easily pass each other on its three-story walls. The richest people of their time took tonsure here, and the sovereign's criminals were kept in the dungeons. Ivan the Terrible himself favored the monastery and invested considerable funds in it. There is a strange energy here that gives peace. Next door are two more pearls of the North - Ferapontov and Goritsky monasteries. The first is famous for its ancient cathedrals and frescoes of Dionysius, and the second for nuns from noble families. Those who have visited the vicinity of Kirillov at least once return here.

An almost mythical place on the map of Russia - the Solovetsky archipelago is located in the middle of the cold White Sea. Even in pagan times, the islands were strewn with temples, and the ancient Sami considered this place holy. Already in the 15th century, a monastery arose here, which soon became a major spiritual and social center. A pilgrimage to the Solovetsky Monastery has always been a great feat, which only a few dared to undertake. Thanks to this, until the beginning of the 20th century, the monks managed to preserve a special atmosphere here, which, oddly enough, did not disappear over the years of hard times. Today, not only pilgrims come here, but also scientists, researchers, and historians.

Once upon a time there was one of the main Ural fortresses, from which several buildings remain (the local Kremlin is the smallest in the country). However, this small town became famous not for its glorious history, but for its large concentration of Orthodox churches and monasteries. In the 19th century, Verkhoturye was a center of pilgrimage. In 1913, the third largest cathedral of the Russian Empire, the Exaltation of the Cross Cathedral, was built here. Not far from the city, in the village of Merkushino, lived the wonderworker Simeon of Verkhoturye, the patron saint of the Urals. People from all over the country come to pray at the relics of the saint - it is believed that they cure diseases. Verkhoturye was included in our list as a unique place of prayer, which, unfortunately, few people know about.

Valaam is quite large for fresh water, rocky and forested archipelago in the northern part of Lake Ladoga, the territory of which is occupied by one of the two “monastic republics” that existed in Russia. The permanent population of the archipelago is several hundred people, mostly monks, fishermen and foresters. In addition, there is a military unit and a weather station on the islands.

The time of foundation of the Orthodox monastery on the islands is unknown. One way or another, at the beginning of the 16th century the monastery already existed; in the 15th-16th centuries, about a dozen future saints lived in the monastery, including, for example, the future founder of another “monastic republic” Savvaty Solovetsky (until 1429) and Alexander Svirsky. It was at this time that monastic hermitages appeared in large numbers on the neighboring islands. Unlike the Solovetsky archipelago, where the owner is a museum-reserve, on Valaam monastic traditions have been revived almost completely. All the monasteries operate here, the monastery also performs administrative functions on the islands, and the vast majority of visitors to Valaam are pilgrims. At the same time, monks are not the only inhabitants of Valaam. There are several fishing villages here, but the monks and lay people live isolated from each other. Throughout the entire area of ​​the island there are monasteries, “branches” of the monastery, about ten in total. The incomparable nature of the Valaam archipelago - a kind of “quintessence” of the nature of South Karelia - contributes to the pilgrim’s desire to move away from the bustle of the world and come to himself. Based on materials from http://russian7.ru

15:18 — REGNUM

On days of fasting, during a period of special abstinence and fervent prayer, Orthodox Christians make pilgrimages to holy places and springs. We offer a selection of the oldest monasteries in Russia, where you can go these days with an excursion program or for obedience.

The oldest monasteries are located in eight regions of Russia - Arkhangelsk, Vladimir, Vologda, Nizhny Novgorod, Novgorod, Kaluga, Pskov regions and Karelia.

1. St. George's Monastery

According to legend, the monastery in Veliky Novgorod was founded by Prince Yaroslav the Wise, baptized George. There, the prince built a wooden church in the name of the Holy Great Martyr George. For a long time, the monastery owned vast lands and carried out complex agricultural activities. It is known from the chronicle that in 1333 the walls of the monastery were strengthened “by 40 fathoms with fences...”.

However, under Catherine II, part of the lands of the Yuryev Monastery went to the state, but the monastery still remained on the list of the 15 most significant monasteries in Russia. The monastery will receive new life in the 19th century, under the abbot Father Photius. New cathedrals and cells, a bell tower were built on the territory, and rare and expensive icons appeared in the monastery.

The revival of the ancient monastery did not last long: already in the 20s of the 20th century the monastery was closed and plundered. During the Great Patriotic War, German and Spanish units were stationed in the monastery, and in peacetime there was a technical school, post office, school, museum, and homeless people lived here. In 1991, the monastery was returned to the church. Since then, monastic life gradually began to return to the monastery, bells began to sound, and the Divine Liturgy was celebrated every day.

2. Spaso-Preobrazhensky Solovetsky Monastery

The monastery was founded by the monks Zosima and Herman, who arrived in the middle of the 15th century on Bolshoi Solovetsky Island and settled by the sea. According to legend, Zosima saw a white church in the heavenly radiance, where a wooden church with a parish and a refectory was subsequently erected. Since the middle of the 16th century, the territory of the monastery has grown into pastures and farmland. The monks cooked salt and farmed. The monastery became a powerful outpost on the northern border of the country. To maintain combat effectiveness, Ivan the Terrible assigned the monastery its own artillery and strengthened the walls of the monastery.

There was also a prison at the monastery. Even before the advent of Soviet power, apostates and state criminals were sent to the Solovetsky bunks. During Soviet times, the Solovetsky Monastery acquired an exclusively negative connotation. Political prisoners and clergy were sent here. Together with the convoy, the number of prisoners did not exceed 350 people.

During the war, a school for cabin boys of the Northern Fleet was opened on Solovki, which was transformed into the Solovetsky Reserve, which continued to exist even after the resumption of the monastic community.

In 1992, the Solovetsky Monastery complex was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, and three years later in the State Code of Especially Valuable Objects of Cultural Heritage of the Peoples of the Russian Federation.

3. Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery

The monastery was founded by followers of Sergius of Radonezh: Cyril and Ferapont Belozersky dug a cave on the shore of Lake Siverskoye, from which the creation of the monastery began. The territory of the monastery gradually grew and already in the middle of the 15th century the monks were actively trading in fish and salt, which made it a major economic center.

The main attraction was the monastery library. Collections and chronicles of past centuries were kept here; the final edition of “Zadonshchina” was also compiled here.

It is known that in 1528 Vasily III came here with his wife Elena Glinskaya to pray for an heir. After this prayer, the future Tsar Ivan the Terrible was born, and until his last days Vasily III had special feelings for the monastery and before his death he accepted the schema and became an ascetic of the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery; Ivan the Terrible himself went there before his death.

Like many other northern monasteries, Kirillo-Belozersky served as a place of imprisonment for the clergy and nobility. For example, the disgraced Patriarch Nikon, Ivan Shuisky and others visited here.

Until the times of Peter the Great, the monastery concentrated cultural, historical, economic and defensive functions; it was a real fortress of the Vologda region. However, with the accession of Catherine II to the throne, part of the land was taken out of ownership, and the city of Kirillov was organized from the monastery settlement.

During the atheistic years, the monastery was plundered, and its abbot, Bishop Barsanuphius of Kirill, was shot. The territory became a museum-reserve, and only in 1997 the monastery was returned to the Russian Orthodox Church.

4. Deposition of the Robe Convent

The monastery was founded at the beginning of the 13th century with exclusively wooden buildings. Several centuries later, stone structures began to appear on the territory, and the oldest that has survived to this day is the Robe Collection, erected at the beginning of the 16th century. In 1688, the entrance to the monastery was decorated with double-tented gates.

Next to the monastery there was another monastery, built as if in addition - Trinity, which was intended for widows who had taken monastic vows. Their territories were in close contact and in 1764 the Trinity Monastery was abolished and the lands passed to the “elder brother”.

At the beginning of the 19th century, in honor of the victory over Napoleon, a 72-meter bell tower was erected in the monastery. In 1882, the monastery received another building - the Sretenskaya Refectory Church. At this point, the period of development of the Deposition of the Robe Monastery ends, giving way to theomachism.

In 1923, the monastery was closed, its bells were sent for melting down, and guards of the political isolation ward located in the neighboring monastery were stationed in the premises. A power plant was established in the Cathedral of the Deposition of the Robe, and the holy gates were used as a hot storage area.

In 1999, the monastery was transferred to the Russian Orthodox Church and reopened as the Deposition of the Robe Convent.

5. Murom Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery

According to legend, the monastery was founded back in 1015 and its foundation is associated with the Murom prince Gleb Vladimirovich, however, “The Tale of Bygone Years” points to the walls of the monastery in 1096, when Prince Izyaslav Vladimirovich died.

In the middle of the 16th century, after Ivan the Terrible’s successful campaign against Kazan, on the orders of the Tsar, several churches were erected in Murom, including the main cathedral of the Transfiguration Monastery. The economic prosperity of the monastery is also associated with the name of Ivan the Terrible, who gave the monastery numerous lands and estates. In the inventories of Murom from the mid-17th century, the monastery is listed as “the sovereign’s building.”

Over the centuries, the monastery changed abbots and expanded its territory. Thus, during the reign of Patriarch Nikon, the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery remained a stronghold of the Old Believers and refused to submit to innovations. For which the abbot, despite repentance, was exiled to the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery.

In 1887, an exact copy of the icon of the Mother of God “Quick to Hear” was brought to the monastery from Athos. And until the beginning of the 19th century, the temple was actively built up and reconstructed.

After the revolution of 1917, the abbot of the monastery was accused of complicity in the uprising, the monastery was closed, leaving only the parish church functioning. But this did not last long. In the 1920s, the temple was turned into a museum, but in 1929 the monastery premises were occupied by the military and NKVD units.

The revival began in 1990 after a letter from city residents asking to restore the temple.

Five years later, the authorities responded to the letter, the military unit left the monastery, a rector was appointed to the monastery, and restoration began. By 2009, the reconstruction was completed and the same icon of the Mother of God “Quick to Hear” returned to the monastery.

6. Mother of God Nativity Monastery

Before the founding of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, the Vladimir Monastery was the center of monastic life in North-Eastern Rus'. The Laurentian Chronicle came out of the monastery.

The monastery was founded personally by Prince Vsevolod Yurievich in 1191. In 1237, the monastery was plundered by the Tatars and partially destroyed. At the same time, the abbot of the monastery and part of the brethren were killed.

In 1263, Alexander Nevsky, who died on his way back from the Horde, was buried in the church of the Nativity Monastery. For a long time his relics remained open, but in 1723, by order of Peter the Great, they were transferred to St. Petersburg.

Until the end of the 19th century, the monastery constantly changed its status and abbots. Despite this, in the 20s of the 20th century it suffered the fate of being abandoned and plundered. Since 1921, a pre-trial detention center, NKVD and KGB units were located here. From 1930 to 1950, executions of repressed people took place in the monastery buildings, and they were buried right there.

On the anniversary of the 800th anniversary of the monastery, construction and reconstruction of buildings began. On this day, a religious procession took place in the monastery. The monastery itself came into the possession of the Russian Orthodox Church.

7. Annunciation Monastery

The monastery was founded in the year of the foundation of Nizhny Novgorod - in 1221. But a few years later it was completely plundered and burned, and a hundred years later the newly restored monastery was covered with snow. Residents were killed and buildings were destroyed.

According to legend, Metropolitan Alexy saw the destroyed monastery and made a vow to God that if the campaign against the Horde ended successfully, he would restore the monastery. The Metropolitan returned with honor, because... He healed the wife of the Tatar Khan from blindness. The raids stopped and the vow was fulfilled in 1370. This date can be considered the second birth of the monastery.

Among the trustees of the monastery was Osip Ermolov, the direct ancestor of General Ermolov.

In the 18th century, a handwritten kondakar was found in the monastery, called the Annunciation or Nizhny Novgorod.

After the revolution, the monastery was closed, and after the war, a planetarium was founded in the building of the Aliksievskaya Church, which existed there until 2005.

In 2007, a porcelain iconostasis was installed in the Church of St. Alexis. There are similar ones only in a few churches in Moscow, in Yekaterinburg and on Valaam.

Before the revolution, the monastery contained a copy of the Korsun Icon of the Mother of God, which survived several fires, but this time it was lost. An updated list was added to the restored monastery.

8. Pskov-Pechersky Monastery

The chronicle of the monastery indicates that even before the laying of the stone of the first cathedral of the monastery, hunters in the forest heard singing. And later, when the lands were given to local peasants, when trees were cut down under the roots of one of them, an entrance to a cave with the inscription “God-created caves” opened. It is known that once in this area there lived monks of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra who fled from the raids of the Crimean Tatars. Later, already in 1473, Kamenets was dug near the stream. The monastery was founded on this site.

This is one of the few monasteries that did not cease its life during Soviet times. However, during the Great Patriotic War, the walls and buildings were heavily damaged by fascist artillery. After the war, seven Valaam elders came to the Pskov-Pechersky Monastery. Many abbots and monks who served here were subsequently canonized. The total length of the caves is about 35 meters. In the lower caves the temperature is 10 degrees.

The Pskov-Pechersky Monastery is a place of pilgrimage for Orthodox Christians all over the world. Bishop Tikhon Shuvkunov began his monastic path here. Based on his notes, the film “Pskov-Pechersk Monastery” was made, and in 2011 the book “Unholy Saints and Other Stories” was published, in which many chapters are related to the Pskov monastery.

9. Vvedenskaya Optina Pustyn

The exact date of the founding of the monastery is unknown, but according to legend, in these places at the end of the 14th century, the repentant robber Opta founded a refuge for elders and elders living in different sections under the direction of one confessor.

For many centuries, the desert changed mentors and expanded. Cathedrals, a refectory, and cells appeared on the territory. Hermits also settled here, people who lived in seclusion and solitude for a long time. It is also known that Vladimir Solovyov brought the hermitage of Fyodor Dostoevsky, who had just lost his son, to Optina. Immediately, the great writer highlighted some details of the life of the monks, which later appeared on the pages of The Karamazov Brothers. The prototype of Elder Zosima from the novel was Elder Ambrose, who lived at that time in a monastery and was later canonized after his death.

During Soviet times, Optina Pustyn was also destroyed and closed. At first there was an agricultural artel here, then a rest house named after Gorky. During the Great Patriotic War, a military hospital and an NKVD filtration camp were located on the territory of the monastery. Later, these buildings will be transferred to a military unit, which will leave the territory only in 1987. A year later, the first divine liturgy took place within the walls of the monastery.

10. Valaam Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery

According to one legend, Andrew the First-Called installed a stone cross on the site of the future monastery, and according to another legend, two monks - Sergius and German - founded a monastic brotherhood on Valaam. The first mention in 1407 is considered the year the monastery was founded. A century later, about 600 monks lived on the island, but constant raids by the Swedes led the economy to desolation.

After the end of the Northern War, the territory of the monastery grew with new lands and cathedrals.

During wartime, a school for boatswains and cabin boys was organized in the monastery, who went to defend Leningrad. In 1950, the House of War and Labor Invalids was organized in the monastery.

A decade later, the first tourists arrived on the holy island, for whom a museum-reserve was organized. Due to the growing popularity of the place, in 1989 it was decided to transfer the monastery to the Leningrad diocese. On December 13, six monks set foot on the island.

About half of those who try to start monastic life on Valaam leave the island. Every year about 100 thousand pilgrims arrive at the Valaam Monastery, 90 thousand of whom are tourists.

On Valaam there are the relics of the founders of the monastery, Saints Sergius and Herman of Valaam, the miraculous icon of the Mother of God “Valaam”, which heals diseases, and the icon of Saint Righteous Anna, which helps with infertility.

An overview of the oldest monasteries in Russia was provided by the Federal Tourism Agency.