Petition. The smallest monastery in Russia is being restored in the Vologda region

Will there be a park on the territory of the demolished 14th building of the Kremlin? But what about the idea of ​​restoring two monasteries - Chudov and Voznesensky?

As you know, the 14th building of the Kremlin was demolished not so long ago. At one time, the idea of ​​restoring two monasteries on this territory, Chudov and Voznesensky, was actively discussed. What is the situation today? Is there any chance that this idea will come true? We talked about this with the adviser to the director of the Federal Security Service, Doctor of History, Professor of Moscow State University Sergey DEVYATOV.

Chudov Monastery appeared on the territory of the Embassy of the Golden Horde

— Sergei Viktorovich, is it possible to hope that the decision to restore the monasteries will still be implemented? Or was the idea completely abandoned?

- To answer this question, you need to start from afar, with the history of this unique place.

The most revered monastery in the Moscow Kremlin - Miracles - was founded in 1365 by Metropolitan Alexy. The history of the emergence of this monastery is as follows.

Alexy was quite a serious politician and diplomat. Once he made a trip to the Golden Horde and during this trip he cured the khansha of blindness Taidullu. As a token of gratitude, the Golden Horde Khan gave the metropolitan land in the southeastern part of the Moscow Kremlin. Previously, this territory belonged to the Kolymazhny yard, where the embassy of the Golden Horde was located in the Moscow Kremlin.

It was there that the Metropolitan founded the Church of the Miracle of the Archangel Michael in Khonekh. It was from this temple that the history of the Kremlin shrines began.

Somewhat later, in the 1390s, the princess Euphrosyne, widow Dmitry Donskoy, founds another monastery next to the Spasskaya Tower, which was named Voznesensky. The monastery was built on the site of the princess's room, from where she accompanied her husband to the Battle of Kulikovo.

Chudov Monastery, 1900s

Miracles and the Ascension monasteries experienced a variety of times, were rebuilt together with the Kremlin. Recent changes date back to the time of the exile Napoleon From Russia. Then the monasteries suffered quite a lot.

The eastern part of the monasteries, which faced the Spasskaya Tower, was in a serious condition. The fact is that the Spasskaya Tower was mined, but, fortunately, they did not have time to blow it up: at the last moment, the burning fuses were put out.

After the Patriotic War of 1812, the architectural commission under the leadership of Osip Bove. If the monasteries as a whole survived, then the Church of St. George as part of one of the monastic complexes was badly destroyed.

In its place, they decided to build the Church of St. Catherine in the neo-Gothic style. By the way, it fits well into the existing buildings, combined with the Gothic motifs of the tent of the Spasskaya Tower.

Ascension Monastery

In this form, both monasteries existed until December 1929, when a decision was made to demolish them. Museum workers managed to take out part of the iconostases and unique tombstones of the great Russian princesses. The fact is that it was in the Ascension Monastery that the tombs of the female half of the royal family were located. They were moved to the Archangel Cathedral.

We lost the monasteries themselves, but their underground part was preserved - that is, everything that was below ground level was not demolished. We practically own the entire underground part. Therefore, if a decision is nevertheless made to reconstruct the two shrines, this circumstance will greatly facilitate the matter.

- Why did you decide to postpone the restoration of the monasteries for the time being? What is the reason? No money? Not that moment? Not advised by experts?

— About a year ago, the President of Russia Vladimir Putin instructed to work out the possibility of restoring the two monasteries. But, you will agree, first you need to carry out the whole complex of scientific research here. It's not even about discussing this issue with the public. It is necessary to conduct a more thorough archaeological study of this ancient territory. And this study is just beginning.

Demolition of the 14th building of the Kremlin

In addition, the Kremlin is a specially protected area of ​​UNESCO, and any action here is consistent with this respected international organization. I would say this: now it is premature to talk about the restoration of monasteries in terms of the procedures that need to be passed.

The most valuable find for archaeologists is an ancient dump

— Everyone understands that the Moscow Kremlin is a valuable research object for historians and archaeologists. Therefore, the decision to conduct archaeological excavations on the territory of the Kremlin was perceived by the scientific community as a unique gift, the significance of which is extremely great...

— Of course, it is. In any case, the very first pits made show that the underground part is in a satisfactory degree of preservation.

The excavations currently underway have yielded very good results. It was possible to open a part of the necropolis of the Chudov Monastery, which (again, miraculously!) Was not destroyed during the construction of the 14th building. Even more ancient layers may well be found in this place. After all, on the site of the Chudov Monastery, I remind you, there was a courtyard of the Golden Horde!

Carrying out work on the site of the demolished 14th building

- As you know, at the state level, a decision was made to conduct complex archaeological research in the Kremlin. How long can they last?

— Archaeological research is not a quick business. On the site of the ancient Church of the Miracle of the Archangel Michael, active research activities are now underway. This is a huge job for Russian archaeologists in the coming years.

I must say that serious archaeological finds are expected here. After all, the cultural layer in this place has not one, not two or five meters. At one time, a moat passed through the territory of the Chudov Monastery Ivan Kalita- here lay a ravine, turned into a defensive ditch. Subsequently, everything unnecessary was dumped there. As a result, perhaps we will find a "cemetery of household items", the value of which for today's researchers is difficult even to determine.

New is not always bad

- What do you think, Sergey Viktorovich, if nothing has been preserved from the historical monument, is it worth building a remake? And in what form can this be done?

- Complex issue. I don't dare to answer it unambiguously. Let me give you an example: the very beginning of Nikolskaya Street. In 1926, the temple was restored there, which was built after the end of the Polish intervention. However, already in 1929 it was demolished by the Soviet authorities. As a result, this place turned out to be an incomprehensible gaping void.

In this form, the territory in the very center of Moscow existed until the early 1990s. The Moscow authorities decided to restore the temple. Moreover, they did not go along the path of reviving the temple that was destroyed, but along the path of restoring the temple, which was built by the prince Dmitry Pozharsky.

Miracle Monastery. 18th century drawing

Thank God, the measurements of the old building have been preserved. The restored temple is 70% new, but the gaping bald spot before it in the architectural appearance of Nikolskaya Street greatly spoiled the view of this part of Red Square. In fact, there was a revival of the ancient urban environment. Therefore, I think that here the revival was a logical step.

- The palace of Alexei Mikhailovich in Kolomenskoye is also a remake, but, in my opinion, very high quality. An idea is immediately created about that era, about people ...

- I agree about Kolomensky. Indeed, a successful reconstruction. Quite a successful experience and the restoration of the palace in Tsaritsyno. They managed to make a real cultural and historical platform there. But the stylized palace in Izmailovo, in my opinion, is very strange. This is just an example of modern kitsch.

— Rumors are circulating on the forums that the Kremlin Palace of Congresses will be demolished?

“I haven't heard of anything like that. I think this is just a rumor, nothing more. As for the territory of the former monasteries, I consider it a great achievement that they are now being introduced into the archaeological circulation. This is a very important moment in the life of the Moscow Kremlin.

— What other changes await the heart of our country?

- A very important point that is being discussed now is the optimization of input complexes. And, as a result, the creation of a more comfortable zone, from the point of view of tourists.

One of such complexes is already operating in the Kutafya Tower area. These complexes carry a double load, providing a safe, comfortable passage to the Kremlin and at the same time creating a barrier-free environment for people with disabilities.

One more moment. When mass events take place in the Kremlin Palace, as a rule, large queues accumulate at the entrance. Now people will be able to comfortably enter the territory of the Kremlin.

The entrance complex will also be built in the area of ​​the Spasskaya Tower, it will provide an entrance to the Kremlin from Red Square.

All this will not cause any damage to the Kremlin. After all, entrance groups are prefabricated structures, and they do not need to be coordinated with UNESCO.

Interviewed by Elena MATSEIKO

Korolev is the center of the rocket and space industry, the leader of the advanced domestic science. April 12, 2001, on Cosmonautics Day, President of Russia V.V. Putin signed a decree granting Korolev the status of a science city in the Russian Federation.

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Monastery restoration

The Russian State pays exceptional attention to the revival of Orthodox shrines, the restoration of monasteries, churches, monuments of national history and culture. One of the oldest Russian monasteries and the main Orthodox centers in Russia is the Joseph-Volotsky Monastery, which is located in the village of Teryaevo, Volokolamsky District, Moscow Region.

In 2015, the celebration of the 500th anniversary of the death of the Monk Joseph Volotsky, one of the most revered saints of the Russian Orthodox Church, will take place. He is especially revered as the heavenly patron of Orthodox entrepreneurship, since he expanded the economic activities of his monastery in every possible way solely in order to be able to carry out educational and social service, conduct charitable activities, perform works of mercy and provide material support to all those in need. According to the Patriarch, this is an outstanding example for the entire Orthodox people for all time.

Joseph-Volotsky Monastery, founded in 1479, is a monument of history and culture of federal significance. This is a unique architectural ensemble that was formed by the middle of the 17th century and has come down to our time almost unchanged. At the same time, in the 20th century, especially during the Great Patriotic War, the historical objects of the monastery were severely destroyed. In particular, the unique bell tower of the Assumption Cathedral was blown up, which served as a prototype of the Kremlin pillar of Ivan the Great. Separately standing courtyards of the monastery are almost completely destroyed. The ensemble of the Skete of All Saints and other buildings and structures of the monastery are in need of urgent conservation and emergency work. It is necessary to recreate the power supply, water supply, fire and security alarm systems, as well as the drainage system, taking into account the new vertical layout.

To solve the problems of restoring the Joseph-Volotsky Monastery, under the honorary chairmanship of His Holiness Patriarch of All Rus' Kirill, a Board of Trustees headed by the Governor of the Moscow Region was created, a Charitable Foundation was established, and a substantiated Concept for the restoration of the ensemble of the Holy Dormition Joseph-Volotsky Monastery was developed.

Charitable Foundation for the Restoration of the Joseph-Volotsky Stauropegial Monastery

Bank: Savings Bank of the Russian Federation (OJSC)

Place location:

117 997 Moscow, st. Vavilova, 19

Krasnogorsk branch No. 7808 of the Security Council of the Russian Federation

Postal address: 143 400 Moscow region, Krasnogorsk, st. Lenina, 21

tel.: 564 4022, 564 6317

Bank details:

BIC 044 525 225

Cor/s 3010 1810 4000 0000 0225

TIN 7707 0838 93

KPP 5024 02001

PSRN 1027 7001132195

OKPO 0280 4777

OKATO 4622 3501 000

Bank account 3030 3810 4400 0060 4021

Organization details:

Restoration Charitable Foundation
Joseph-Volotsky Stauropegial Monastery
account 4070 3810 8402 1000 3516

Contract No. 40703810840210003516

Information mail

Full name of the organization	Charitable Foundation for the Restoration of JosephVolotsk Stauropegial Monastery
abbreviated name	Charitable Foundation for the Restoration of the Joseph-Volotsky Monastery
Executive Director

Private (former hospital) building before restoration. Photograph 1992

The community of the John the Baptist Monastery originated in the village of Vinogradovo, where the last Ivanovo nuns and their confessor Elder Hilarion (Udodov) found their resting place. With the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Rus', in 1992 the St. John the Baptist Monastery was attached to the Church of St. Prince Vladimir in Starye Sadekhi, headed by Archpriest Sergei Romanov. By the providence of God on about. Sergius was entrusted with the difficult task of reviving both his parish church and taking care of the restoration of the ancient Ivanovo monastery. It is surprising and especially providential that in 1987-1990 Fr. Sergiy Romanov served in the village of Vinogradovo in the Church of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, where the future community of the Ivanovo Monastery and the parish community of Knyaz Vladimirsky, or Starye Sadekh, were born and formed. Father Sergius was convinced that the monastery needed to be revived as a female monastic community, although other projects were also proposed. In 1992, the St. Vladimir Orthodox Gymnasium began its life in the monastery houses, at the origins of which was Svetlana Vasilievna Kozlova, the first director of the gymnasium († January 1, 1999).

There were also those who wished to devote their lives to God and the service of the Church in the monastic rank. At the end of 1991, the first resident Ekaterina Rostkovskaya settled in the chapel of St. John the Baptist. Almost immediately, the chapel was repaired and reopened. On May 29, 1992, the first sisters moved to the corps. Ekaterina Rostkovskaya (now nun Elisaveta), who was involved in the restoration of churches and cells, was joined by Marina Osipova, who laid the foundation for the publishing house of the St. Vladimir Brotherhood. By 1995, a small community of ten sisters had formed. Nadezhda Sukhareva (now nun Vasily) sewed church vestments, Margarita Proskurova painted icons for the iconostases of the Vladimir Church and the monastery house church of St. Elisabeth, Lyudmila Uvarova (nun Dosithea) was on duty in the chapel, Anastasia Kabilova (nun Ambrose) and Irina Isaeva (nun Romana) were regents in the temple and in the monastery. From the very beginning, Natalia Vinogradova (nun Nicholas) took part in the restoration of the monastery. Irina Bogdanova (nun Juliania) worked constantly in the monastery together with the sisters of the community and the parishioners of the Vladimir Church.

“Many monasteries are set up with wealth, but they are not the same, as these are, and they are supplied with prayer and tears, fasting and vigil ...”, - it is said in one ancient monastic chronicle. The main business of the resurgent monastic community was to be prayer and worship - worship in the broad sense of the word, as service to God, obedience to His holy will. The day in the community began and ended with the monastic rule. The sisters prayed in the chapel, and attended divine services in the Vladimir Church.

Breaking the floors of the second floor in the Elizabethan temple. Photo from the early 1990s

It was an amazing time in the life of our long-suffering Church - the beginning of the 1990s! Desecrated, desecrated churches and monasteries were rebuilt and rebuilt all over Russia, even in its most remote corners. In an incredibly short time, they rose in all their glory, literally rising from the dust. Unparalleled is the feat of Christians for the glory of the Lord!

From the first days after the return of the Ivanovo Monastery to the bosom of the Church, the nuns turned to its history, compiled synodicons for commemoration at the rule and divine services. And then, as the nun Elisaveta (Rostkovskaya) says, “as if the broken connection of times closed, the sisters felt a prayerful unity with the former monastery.”

In the early 1990s, the house church of St. Elizabeth the Wonderworker at the former hospital cells. The restoration of the interiors began under the leadership of the leading architect-restorer Lidia Alekseevna Shitova. By the feast of Holy Easter in 1995, the temple was finished, the icons for the iconostasis were painted by Margarita Proskurova. The small consecration and the first divine service in the Elisabeth Church took place on April 28, 1995, on Friday of Bright Week, when the memory of the icon of the Mother of God "Life-Giving Spring" is celebrated. At this Paschal time, as a manifestation of the prayer cover of the Mother of God, the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos "Smolensk" or "Hodegetria", painted especially for the Elizabethan Church, began to abundantly stream over the entire surface. Divine services in the church of St. Elizabeth the Wonderworker was performed by the priests of the church of St. Prince. Vladimir. The monastic services were full, the sisters were zealous about the liturgical Rule, trying to follow the instructions of the Typicon.

The inhabitants of the community were spiritually connected with the Holy Dormition Pyukhtitsa Convent in Estonia, which never closed and preserved the traditions of Orthodox cenobitic female monasticism. At the invitation of the hospitable mother Varvara, the Ivanovo sisters traveled to Pyukhtitsy to study and get accustomed to monastic life.

Elizabethan Temple. Photograph 2008

Natalia Vinogradova (now nun Nikolai), who was involved in the restoration of the monastery, often visited the elder Fr. Nikolai Guryanov on the island of Zalita in the Pskov region and every time asked him about the monastery. Father Nikolai always answered that “there will be a monastery and a large monastery; everything will be fine” and added: “St. Nicholas will arrange everything…” The sisters fervently prayed to the great Wonderworker Nicholas. They also visited the grave of the last abbess of the monastery, Mother Epiphany, on the former monastery farm. The sisters made pilgrimages to the Nikolo-Ugreshsky monastery to the relics of St. Pimen (Myasnikov), glorified in May 2000, who worked hard to open the Ivanovo Monastery at the end of the 19th century. The inhabitants of the community prayed in the Novospassky Monastery at the acquisition of the relics of the Ivanovo recluse - the blessed old woman nun Dosifei. Close ties of spiritual brotherhood connected the monastery sisterhood with the arrival of the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord in the village of Ostrov, near Moscow, where the sisters often prayed in the chapel of St. Nicholas.

On May 5, 1999, by the Decree of His Holiness the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus', the Patriarchal Metochion was established at the former Ivanovo Monastery, in which Fr. Sergei Romanov was appointed acting rector of the Cathedral of the Beheading of St. John the Baptist and the Elisabeth House Church.

Abbess Varvara, abbess of the Holy Dormition Pyukhtitsa Convent, has always shown a prayerful and active participation in the formation of the John the Baptist community. In the spring of 2000, she blessed the sisters to read St. An akathist to Nicholas the Wonderworker for 40 consecutive days about the speedy release of the monastery cathedral and the establishment of the monastery. On August 3, 2000, Vladyka Arseniy, Archbishop of Istra, came to the monastery, inspected the not yet liberated cathedral and the monastery territory occupied by the Moscow University of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Vladyka said that at the next Synod he would report on the possibility of resuming the monastery. The synod took place on August 11, 2000, on the eve of the glorification of the Synod of New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia. On this day the Church celebrates the Nativity of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. The community learned about the decision of the Synod to open a monastery after the completion of the Council on 21 August. On Bright Week 2001, the removal of the archive from the monastery cathedral began. In the summer of 2001, on the feast of the Nativity of John the Baptist, the temple was completely vacated and handed over to the community. And in the cathedral, finally, the words of prayer sounded. Prayers became weekly. Since that time, Fr. Athanasius Gumerov (now Hieromonk Job - a resident of the Sretensky Monastery).

December 25, 2001 Fr. Sergius announced to the sisters that His Holiness the Patriarch had requested an abbess for the Ivanovo Monastery in Pyukhtitsy. During the evening meal in the John the Baptist community, these days they read the letters of St. Ambrose, Elder of Optina. The sister, who was reading at dinner in the evening, drew attention to the letter, which was to be read the next day. Here is the letter:

Newly consecrated abbess.

I congratulate you on your election to the post of rector and on the rank of abbess, if you have already been ordained to this dignity. I sincerely wish you, for the prayers of the late father, Fr. Abbot Anthony, to go through this difficult duty with the benefit of the soul, both your own and the sisters and mothers handed over to you. May the holy and reverend Athanasia help you in this laborious position, whose memory will soon be celebrated and by the same name, it seems, you were named at the tonsure. If so, then I congratulate you on your name day and from the bottom of my heart I wish you, through the prayers of your spiritual patroness, successful success in your pastoral affairs. To your consolation, I will say: although the position of chiefs is fraught with many difficulties and great inconveniences, we see from the list of Saints that many abbots not only received salvation, but also a great reward from the Lord in heaven, and on earth they are glorified by St. The Church in the face of the Saints, like the holy abbess Athanasius. I sincerely and sincerely wish you, after completing your feat, to achieve the same through the prayers of your spiritual patrons, so that with boldness you will say to you before the Lord: behold and children, even the all-merciful and merciful Lord has given you to them.

Abbess Athanasius, abbess of the John the Baptist Monastery. Photograph 2008

By the Providence of God, by the Decree of His Holiness the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' on December 26, 2001, nun Afanasia (Grosheva), the dean of the Holy Dormition Pyukhtitsky Monastery in Estonia, was appointed abbess of the John the Baptist Convent. Matushka Afanasia arrived on January 16, 2002. Vladyka Alexander, Bishop of Dmitrovsky, vicar of the Moscow diocese, introduced her to the management of the monastery.

On January 18, 2002, after the vigil for the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, with the blessing of His Holiness the Patriarch, the monastery was returned to its main shrines - the icons of St. John the Baptist with a hoop and St. Elizabeth the Wonderworker, the holy abbess, who lived in Constantinople in the 5th century. Icon of St. The Prophet John is unique. Russian tsars prayed before this image and walked with it in procession. During the Soviet period, the icon was kept in the church of Sts. app. Peter and Paul on the Yauza. Now it is in the revived Kazan aisle of the cathedral, and an exact copy is placed in the chapel of St. John the Baptist. To the icon case of the icon of the Baptist of the Lord on the right on a metal chain is attached a copper hoop with the inscription: "Holy Great Forerunner and Baptist of the Savior John, pray to God for us." Through the prayers of the Preacher of Repentance, many receive healing and help, thereby strengthening their faith.

Mother Afanasia's helper in the restoration of the monastery was her heavenly patroness, St. Rev. Abbess Athanasius of Aegina († August 14, 860; her memory is celebrated by the Orthodox Church on April 12/25). Her life says: “She made sure that not a single hour passed without prayer, she constantly praised the Lord, imitating David, who says: I will bless the Lord at all times, I will keep His praise in my mouth (Ps. 33, 2) ” . The appointment of Mother Afanasia from the Pukhtitsky cenobitic nunnery with a well-established and stable way of monastic life became the cornerstone for building a new monastic community in the Ivanovo Monastery. With the arrival of the abbess, the monastery was transformed. She replenished with new nuns, found her parishioners.

On March 14, 2002, for the first time, a blessing was received in the monastery - to serve the newly glorified saint of the John the Baptist Monastery - blessed schema-nun Martha, for Christ's sake, holy fool. Before the All-Night Vigil, Fr. Athanasius Gumerov consecrated the first painted icon of the blessed.

On the day of the Feodorovskaya Icon of the Mother of God, March 14/27, His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia visited the John the Baptist Monastery for the first time. His Holiness venerated the miraculous icon of St. John the Baptist with a hoop in the monastery chapel and examined the cathedral. In the church of St. Elizabeth the Wonderworker, the Patriarch, addressing matushka and sisters, said a word in which he noted more than 20 years of experience in the monastic life of matushka Afanasia, and her obedience to the dean of the Pyukhtitsky monastery. His Holiness announced that Mother Afanasia was the eleventh abbess from the Pukhtitsa monastery. The Patriarch gave her the Chernigov Gethsemane Icon of the Mother of God. During tea drinking, the Patriarch talked with the abbess, sisters and spiritual father of the former community, Fr. Sergiy Romanov about the problems of the monastery.

At the end of August, preparations for the consecration of the Kazan chapel were completed. Several icons for him were painted by Maria Lvovna Gorodskaya. On Sunday, September 8, 2002, when the Orthodox Church celebrates the Presentation of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, the Kazan chapel of the monastery cathedral was solemnly consecrated. The small consecration was performed by Archpriest Sergiy Romanov with the clergy. From the church of St. Prince Vladimir, the procession with the antimension went to the monastery, where, after the consecration of the cathedral, the first Divine Liturgy took place - 76 years after its closing.

On September 11, 2002, on the monastery's patronal feast, the first episcopal service was held, led by Vladyka Arseniy, Archbishop of Istra. After the liturgy, the procession from the cathedral passed to the territory of the Moscow University of the Ministry of Internal Affairs; on the steps of the southern entrance to the cathedral, a litiya was served for the deceased nuns of the monastery, as well as for the prisoners of the concentration camp who suffered in this holy place in the 1920-1930s.

Through the labors of Mother Afanasia, a systematic restoration of the architectural ensemble, which is a monument of the 18th-19th centuries of all-Russian significance, is being carried out in the monastery. The external appearance of the cathedral and its interiors are being updated, the scientific restoration of temple painting, created at the end of the 19th century by masters of the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts, is being carried out. On November 9, 2002, a cross was erected on the dome. Once again, the architectural dominant of old Moscow shines from afar - the renovated cathedral of the Ivanovsky Monastery. In the summer of 2003, crosses shone on the turrets of the cathedral, and since the same time, two bell towers at the Holy Gates of the monastery have been restored.

On December 30, 2002, Matushka Afanasia, by the Decree of His Holiness the Patriarch, was confirmed in the rank of abbess of the monastery with the laying of a pectoral cross. On February 28, by the Decree of His Holiness the Patriarch, the active assistant to the abbess, novice Natalia Vinogradova, was approved as treasurer.

A joyful event for the monastery was the first tonsure of the sisters. On the eve of the week of the 4th Great Lent, after an all-night vigil, Vladyka Arseniy performed monastic vows on four sisters who stood at the origins of the revival of the monastery: nun Elisaveta (Rostkovskaya), nun Nikolai (Vinogradova), nun Dosifei (Uvarova), nun Juliania (Bogdanova). On the same day, April 5, 2003, Vladyka donated to the monastery a particle of the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, Archbishop of Myra. The shrine was kept in the family of one believing Italian woman, belonging to an ancient noble family. Seeing the special love of Russian people for saints and the reverent veneration of holy relics by the Orthodox people, she decided to donate a family heirloom to the resurgent John the Baptist Convent.

On April 8, 2003, a priest, Priest George Pervushin, was appointed to the monastery. Both sisters and parishioners immediately fell in love with the new pastor.

The weekday begins at St. John the Baptist from the ringing of an alarm clock. The nuns gather at six o'clock in the morning for the midnight office to become like the gospel wise virgins, ready to meet the Bridegroom at midnight. After the Midnight Office, the canon of the Mother of God "Hodegetria" or akathists to the celebrated saints are read. At seven o'clock the liturgy begins, then, according to custom, there is a lithium for the deceased. After the service, the sisters disperse for obedience. The evening service at the monastery begins at a quarter to five and includes the 9th hour, Vespers, Matins, and the 1st hour. In prayerful silence, monastic statutory services are performed, at which petitions are always raised "for our God-protected country, its authorities and its army ... for all the brethren and for all Christians." The day also ends with a common prayer. At half past nine in the evening, the sisters gather at the house church of St. Elizabeth the Wonderworker for Compline, after which they ask for forgiveness and blessings from the abbess. The nuns of the monastery every day after the evening meal make a procession around the monastery. In the main cathedral of the monastery, a prayer is offered to God and a bloodless Sacrifice is performed.

In 2004, a marble reliquary was restored in the cathedral, in which the holy relics of the holy blessed schema-nun Martha of Moscow, Christ for the sake of the holy fool, which were lost after the closing of the cathedral in 1926, rested.

On December 24, 2004, a meeting of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church was held at which the Synod decided to include the names of new ascetics in the Council of New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia of the 20th century. Among them is the name of the priest of the Ivanovo Monastery Alexy Skvortsov (1875-July 4, 1938). The monastery found a new prayer book and intercessor with God.

On March 17, 2005, on Thursday of the first week of Great Lent, His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II again visited the Ivanovo Monastery. Under the vaults of the renovated monastery cathedral, the Patriarch read the Great Penitential Canon of St. Andrew of Crete. At the end of the service, the Primate addressed the pilgrims with the primatial word.

In 2006, 2007 and 2008, monastic vows of the sisters were performed at the monastery. The sisters' pilgrimages to the Holy Land became unforgettable. But the central event of recent years has been the service of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Rus'. On September 11, 2007, on the patronal feast of the monastery, His Holiness celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the monastery Cathedral and elevated Matushka Afanasia to the rank of abbess for divine services.

The monastery is constantly working in archives and libraries, thanks to which the monastery published the lives of the patron saint of the monastery, St. Elizabeth the Wonderworker, the holy blessed schema-nun Martha of Moscow, Christ for the sake of the holy fool, the reclusive old woman of the Ivanovo monastery Dosifei, as well as publications on the history of the ancient Ivanovo monastery.

Novice of the monastery baking prosphora

There are many secrets and mysteries near the ancient monastery, its future is secret, but one thing is clear: the monastery lives and is being revived. The monastery is being updated externally, its temples and buildings are brightening, but it is even more decorated and strengthened internally with the arrival of new young sisters. For stronger and stronger than stone are young hearts wholly devoted to God. They are the guarantee of the future of the monastery with the indestructible foundation of its spiritual heritage. Neither in past centuries, nor in our time, no hardships and historical upheavals could interrupt the thread of spiritual continuity that stretches from the foundation of the monastery. The monastery burned, it was ruined, but the succession and traditions were preserved by the next generations. That is why the monastery has always been revived, and it is being revived now. Again sounds in the heart of the Russian capital the voice crying in the wilderness (Matt. 3, 3) - the sermon of the greatest preacher of repentance and more in those born of women (Matt. 11, 11) the holy Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord John: Repent, drawing near the Kingdom of Heaven ... Create for the fruit is worthy of repentance ... For even the ax lies at the root of the tree: every tree that does not produce good fruit is cut down, and thrown into the fire (Matt. 3; 2, 8,10). For those who seek salvation at all times and epochs, St. John the Forerunner points to Christ: Behold the Lamb, God, who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29).

Gracious brothers and sisters!

With the blessing of Archbishop Kirill of Yaroslavl and Rostov, the revival of the convent in honor of the icon of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos began. The monastery was founded in the 19th century; 200 nuns performed their monastic feat here. It was closed in 1919. The monastery is located far from large settlements. The restoration of the monastery is carried out on the meager donations of the people. From the history of our Orthodox people it is clear that in the old days churches and monasteries were built by the whole world. Many pious people actively participated in this. The grateful Church has always prayed for them. Today, in the midst of terrible unbelief and devastation, the restoration of the nunnery makes it possible to revive the spirit of Christian asceticism here. The economic prosperity of Russia is impossible without the spiritual revival of the people - Orthodoxy. Without true faith in God, no one has yet found either the meaning of life, or salvation, or well-being.

Once the monastery was called the Mologsky Intercession Monastery. The city of Mologa disappeared under the waters of the Rybinsk reservoir in 1940, along with temples and monasteries. Our monastery, by the grace and providence of God, alone remained outside the flood zone, it is the only keeper of the past in these places. Three churches were built at the monastery:

• wooden Church of the Resurrection of Christ, built in 1883 (completely destroyed);
• in honor of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos, built in 1889 (dilapidated);
• in honor of St. Sergius of Radonezh the Wonderworker, brownie. Arranged in 1885 inside a 3-storey private building. Restored, worship services are regularly performed in it;

The belfry is stone, built in 1904, completely destroyed.

In 1889, in the city of Rybinsk, a monastery courtyard was created in a two-story house donated by a local merchant. Currently, the city labor exchange and shops are located in this house.

In the 3-storey building (2500 sq.m) an almshouse for elderly nuns, a hospital for the treatment of peasants from the surrounding villages, an icon-painting and gold-embroidery workshops were organized. There was a parochial school. They had their own brick factory, bakery, forest land, land - 500 acres. In total, the monastery had 14 capital buildings. Around the monastery there was a fence with a central gate with columns.

The venerated icons in honor of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos and the Resurrection of Christ were confiscated in 1919, and their whereabouts are now unknown.

After the closing of the monastery by the God-fighting authorities, there were located on its territory: an agricultural school, workshops in the Church of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos, and a club in the Church of St. Sergius of Radonezh. A football field was built at the monastery cemetery. During the years of rampant atheism, the monastery lost all its values. At present, after the return of the monastery lands to the Russian Orthodox Church, the only dilapidated three-story cell building has remained on the territory of the monastery, in which all monastic life is now concentrated. At present, by the grace of God, construction and restoration work is being carried out through the participation of the monastery in Orthodox fairs and meager donations from the people. There is no end to the work in the reviving monastery. The monastery does not have rich donors, because, among those reviving throughout the territory of Holy Rus', our monastery is little known. December 28, 2010 marks the 125th anniversary of its foundation.

We graciously ask you, to the best of your ability, to help the revival of our monastery, and therefore Orthodoxy in Holy Rus'.

The program for the revival of the monastery is based on the parallel development of the monastery's activities in two main areas:

• the main one is spiritual and restorative;
• economic and economic.

In this part of the program, a development perspective is given in the second, economic direction:

Development of a program for the restoration of the monastery

Development of a project for the reconstruction of the monastery complex, including:

• preparation of initial documentation;
• technical inspection of existing buildings and drawing up defective statements;
• topographic survey of the territory;
• preparation of measurement drawings of existing buildings (based on measurements);

Development of design and estimate documentation:

• Development of the "general plan" section, including
  - project of territory planning;
  - master plan;
  - landscaping project.
• Development of a project for the reconstruction of existing buildings - a three-story stone cell building with an area of ​​2500 sq.m.
• Development of a project for the reconstruction of buildings and structures:
  - a stone temple in the name of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos, currently half-ruined;
  - stone bell tower - lost;
  - a two-story wooden (former hegumen) house - dilapidated.

Development of the project of buildings and structures:

• installation of a metal fence 1000 meters long around the monastery with a tower and gates (to prevent theft and other obscene violations on the territory of the monastery that interfere with monastic life);
• installation of metal bars on 30 windows in the private building, where the temple in honor of St. Sergius of Radonezh the Wonderworker is located.

In the reconstructed monastery complex, it is planned to revive:

• an almshouse for elderly nuns;
• orphanage for girls;
• children's Orthodox camp;
• allocate the territory of the former monastery cemetery (install a metal fence), revive the memory of the buried nuns with the installation of a chapel, thereby preventing idle tourists from visiting the holy place with their picnics;
• restore the holy spring with the construction of a bath near it;
• restore the courtyard of the monastery in the city of Rybinsk
• The development of the monastery economy in the following areas:
  – cleaning of ponds for the resumption of fisheries;
  - animal husbandry;
  - gardening and horticulture;
  – collection of medicinal herbs, mushrooms and berries, their preparation and sale.

It is not easy to restore the lost, but with us is the patronage of the Queen of Heaven, the blessing of the Archbishop of Yaroslavl and Rostov Kirill, the prayers and charitable assistance of all who are not indifferent to the revival of the shrines of the Russian land, its spiritual and moral foundations.

Blessed are those who are merciful, FOR THEY WILL HAVE PARTY (Matthew 5.7)

Through the prayers of our All-Merciful Blessed Virgin Mary, may the Lord preserve you, your relatives and your employees for many years!

And about. abbesses of the monastery
Nun Theodorita

Abbess Elisaveta (Zhegalova), nun Anna (Klygina)

This year it will be 25 years since the first three nuns settled in the dilapidated building adjoining the church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul of the ancient Holy Trinity Stefano-Makhrishsky monastery, with the blessing of the ruling bishop of the Vladimir diocese, Vladyka Evlogy (Smirnov). At first it was a skete of the Alexander Holy Dormition Convent, which since 1995 has become an independent monastery. And in 2004 the monastery received the status of stavropegial. How do you remember the beginning of the path that led to the birth of a strong monastic family in one of the most comfortable monasteries in Russia today? A living history in the faces appears before us from the stories of its abbess, abbess Elisaveta and the nun Anna, carrying the obedience of the treasurer.

Mother, it is known that you labored for a long time in the Pyukhtitsa Stavropegial Convent of the Dormition in Estonia, but when the Soviet Union began to fall apart, when our state began to collapse, you returned to Russia. Here they became a resident of the resurgent Holy Dormition Monastery in the city of Aleksandrov. Probably, the first impression of what you saw in the village of Makhra on the site of an ancient monastery was depressing?

I will tell you what I thought when I saw the ruins of the monastery, founded in the 14th century by St. Stephen of Makhrishchsky with the blessing of St. Alexis, Metropolitan of Moscow. Over the past centuries, the monastery experienced periods of prosperity and decline. Everything was. However, during the years of Soviet power, it turned out to be so destroyed, so desecrated by people without God in their souls, that it flashed through their heads: it would take many decades and incredible efforts to bring it back to life. And another sympathetic thought flashed: “Unfortunate is the rector who will be sent to revive the monastery. Almost from scratch! We, that is, several sisters from Alexandrov, came to Makhra with Bishop Evlogii. Looked, grieved and left. Vladyka - to Vladimir, sisters - to Alexandrov. A few days later I was suddenly appointed head nun here! All the centuries until the revolution, the monastery was a male monastery, now, due to the small number of brethren in the resurgent Orthodox monasteries, it was decided to renew it as a female monastery. And so, at the end of October, I arrived in this devastation with two sisters. On the territory there was the only residential building (former archimandrite's chambers), in which the pioneer camp of the Northern Shipping Company was based. Children from Murmansk were brought only for the summer. Since they were not there in the autumn, the director of the camp allowed us to settle there. We assured him that we would not interfere with anyone. The director was touched and presented Vladyka Evlogii with an old monastery icon of St. Stephen of Makhrishchi, which had somehow come to him. At that moment, the monk, as it were, returned to the monastery.

What did the pioneer sisters manage to do? Where did they start?

First of all, they began to restore the building with a refectory below, cells above and a separate room - housing for the priest. And the tiny Peter and Paul Church, first turned into a sports hall, then eventually turned out to be without windows and doors, without heating. For two months we went to pray in the city church in Karabanovo. We walked six kilometers on foot, in rubber boots, in quilted jackets, trying not to pay attention to the autumn-winter bad weather. These two months were spent on the restoration of the temple, in which we had to live then. On December 30, the temple was consecrated, and as services began in it on the penultimate day of 1993, so services are performed in the monastery every day. They never stopped again... I myself love choir obedience very much, I love the choir, but I often thought with sadness that in this Vladimir wilderness there would definitely not be a sister choir. Apparently, I thought, I would have to put up with it and sing with my grandmothers without any beautiful chants, quite simply. And then a miracle happened: only a few months had passed and during the Great Lent, which was especially remembered for the blizzard and snowstorms, five graduates of the music school from Vologda arrived here one after another as novices. Four of them immediately began to sing in the kliros. Spiritual children of one father, they came to us with his blessing. The choir formed immediately. We lived in services. They could not restore anything, because we did not own anything - neither the monastery territory, nor the buildings on it. And so two years passed. The sisters always attended Midnight Office, Matins, Liturgy, Vespers and Compline. The three canons, the three hundred, the Gospel, the Apostle, evening prayers - everything was read in the temple, and also no one ever shied away. Such a focus on services, the ability to pray intensely became, one might say, the leaven or foundation that kept the monastery when its restoration began with rapid construction. The construction did not crush us, as we kept the inner core laid down during the first two years.

And how did the rapid construction begin?

This stage and subsequent years are associated with the name of a remarkable person - Eric (Erast in baptism) Nikolaevich Pozdyshev, who headed the Rosenergoatom concern at that time. We went out on it, being in an intense search for coal. The situation was as follows: after two years of our stay in the monastery territory, the stokers went to celebrate the New Year, leaving a huge coal boiler, as they say, to the mercy of fate. The sisters had to take over the "watch", and since then it has become a permanent, round-the-clock watch for us. For some time the district helped with coal, then it could not. There were hard times in the country, terrible devastation all around, and in the winter we found ourselves without coal. They began to look for benefactors in Moscow. Wherever and to whom only they did not turn - alas, to no avail. In the end, they got through to the president of the Roesenergoatom concern and heard from him: “What, you don’t have enough fur coats? Are you freezing? - “No, not fur coats, but coal!” we shouted into the phone. And they immediately asked: “Can one of the sisters come to you and show you photos of how the monastery looks today?” He agreed. A return visit soon followed. Eric Nikolayevich came to us just in time for the feast of the Holy Great Martyr Catherine. With his deputy and another employee of the concern. They looked at everything, asked about everything, consulted. “We will restore” - we heard their decision. Later, our benefactor told how he came to faith. Being a nuclear scientist, having traveled a lot abroad, he wondered: why do people simply live there, but survive in Russia? At some point, it dawned on me: the reason is most likely that in other countries they did not destroy their shrines. We blasphemously destroyed them. Desecrated, blown up, somewhere dismantled brick by brick. And the only way to restore normal life in Russia is the restoration of its shrines. Therefore, he went to us consciously.

People who are accustomed to dealing with nuclear power plants (and Eric Nikolayevich, I note, after the terrible disaster at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant was appointed its director, built a "sarcophagus" or a "Shelter" object over the 4th block) took up the monastery very seriously. Work proceeded at a rapid pace. Residential buildings, the monastery refectory were restored, a new boiler house appeared (now on diesel fuel), engineering communications throughout the territory were shifted. At first, dozens of people had to be fed in a tiny refectory. There were about 70 workers, plus students of the theological seminary, who in the summer were excavating at the site of the church of St. Stephen of Makhrishch, blown up in 1942. And Vladyka Evlogii often came, and philanthropists from Rosenergoatom. Major specialists in their field, real devotees - the archaeologist Leonid Andreevich Belyaev, the architect-restorer Sergei Vasilyevich Demidov - in a word, everyone who appeared with us was also accepted there. When we are told: “You restored the monastery,” we answer: “We only fed people.” They fed us day after day, from seven in the morning to eleven in the evening ... Services and cooking - that's what I remember first of all from those years. But, of course, the most memorable was the return to life of the main shrine of the monastery - Stefanovsky Church - and its consecration by His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II. It was November 25, 1997. In general, the event seemed completely unbelievable: the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church arrived at the monastery in a remote village where 30 sisters labored! Then Patriarch Alexy visited our monastery in the summer of 2005, and Patriarch Kirill has already been here six times during his presidency.

Mother Elisaveta, if we talk about the orphanage: the beginning of the 2000s in Russia was not easy, but disadvantaged children found their home in the monastery and excellent opportunities to develop spiritually and creatively. After all, this required not only the mobilization of nursing forces, but also considerable funds?

Behind the construction of a comfortable, cozy home for girls from dysfunctional families and orphans is another wonderful person whom the Lord sent to us, also from Moscow, but let Nun Anna, the treasurer of the monastery, tell about this.

Mother Anna, tell me, please.

In everything that happens with us, one can feel the miraculous and quick help of St. Stephen of Makhrishchsky. The second benefactor - a private entrepreneur, Vitaly Ivanovich Danilenko - was begged by the children. The very idea to organize an orphanage at the monastery came from Erik Nikolaevich Pozdyshev. In general, they began to build a house for the children who “clung” to us and lived at first, some in the library (where they put bunk beds), some in the cell of their older sister. In our conditions, there was absolutely nowhere to put them, and they, the homeless, so came up in their short life and so dreamed of their own home! At some point, Erik Nikolaevich did not have enough funds, the construction had to stop. I said, “Children, pray! I only have debt. Beg for help, you will have a house. Don't beg, it won't." They prayed. We then sent hundreds of letters asking for help, only a few responded. Some small amounts were sent. And suddenly a call from Moscow. The caller said he wanted to help the orphanage. In the end, he financed the entire balance for the construction of the house, thanks to which the house was completed within a few months. When the girls moved in there, there was joy! And Vitaly Ivanovich, a man of deep faith, continues to help the monastery, as if taking over from Erik Nikolayevich, who is now in his 82nd year. The main brainchild of Danilenko was the Church of the Life-Giving Trinity, known to us only from an old photograph. In the atheistic years, the quadrangle, the altar, half of the bell tower were destroyed. In place of the altar stood a residential building. We were afraid to take it. He was outside the fence of the monastery, he did not belong to the monastery, he was not part of the monastery ensemble, and yet, when looking at him, the soul responded with pain. But how to raise this colossus? Can you imagine: 53 meters long, the height of the future dome is 23 meters, and only the altar is 8 by 11 meters? There were people, Muscovites, who said they wanted to restore the temple. They erected a bell tower, there were not enough funds for the temple. Construction started and stopped. It was even more painful to look at than when he stood destroyed.

And then Vitaly Ivanovich got down to business?

Vitaly Ivanovich, perhaps, refused for two years, saying that he would install communications, treatment facilities, help with the construction of a boiler house - in other words, solve economic issues. And to gild the domes, he said, they say, there will be other people. When it became completely unbearable for us to see the stopped construction, the sisters went among the scaffolding, concrete mixers, bags of cement - they set up a lectern, put on it the icon of St. Sergius of Radonezh, in whose honor the temple was previously consecrated, and began to read an akathist to the Monk. Went there every Sunday for a month. Just read the akathist! After they had probably read the akathist four times, Vitaly Ivanovich suddenly agreed to restore the destroyed shrine. And in three years it was completely restored, rose from non-existence. Here, we believe, help came from St. Sergius, who visited our monastery as a guest of St. Stephen, with whom he had a spiritual friendship.

You experience an amazing feeling in this magnificent, marvelously painted temple. It is clear that the place is prayed for, but the temple has been erected in our days, but there is no feeling of a “remake”. It seems that everything in it breathes antiquity.

The paintings were interesting too. Having restored the temple, our philanthropist said that he liked the white walls - we will not paint them. And among the sisters there are icon painters who turned to Mother Elizabeth with a request: despite the fact that they have never painted walls, I really want to try. They decided to “try it” in a small chalet of St. Sergius. For about 20 years our monastery has been associated with a wonderful and amazing family, the head of which Alexander Alexandrovich Lavdansky, one of the leading domestic icon painters, runs the Cinnabar icon painting workshop and all five of his children work in the field of church art. We asked him to check our project. He looked and said that we were thinking wrong: it should be in a conspicuous place - yes, yes, all over the wall! - write to the Mother of God. He added that he would help, support the sisters. They made a sketch, transferred everything in a square to the wall. Alexander Alexandrovich assured that they are doing well. Then, when their strength was not enough - the volume is huge! - developed a project of murals and led the work himself.

Mother Anna, I can't help but ask about the farm. The sisters started from a small plot where they planted potatoes - their savior in difficult years. Today, the monastery has such a subsidiary farm that each of its objects - a cowshed, a chicken coop, a dairy factory - is amazing. Is it necessary to have the talent of a business manager to reach such a high level?

You need to have a nature, like our mother abbess. A person who is not indifferent, unusually creative, she is open to everything new. In the monastery, life is built in such a way that the sisters are allowed to learn a lot. For example, the choir directors were trained at the Regency School at the MTA and other regency courses, the choristers improve their skills with a professional teacher-vocalist, the icon-painting sisters completed an internship at the icon-painting school at the MTA. And the sister, who saw cows only on TV, was sent to obedience to the cowshed. Mother told her that she could call, from where she saw fit, experienced livestock specialists. Good specialists, easy-going, were found in St. Petersburg and invited. In addition, this sister herself went to the Russian agro-industrial exhibition "Golden Autumn" at VDNKh. After four years, she mastered the wisdom of raising and breeding cows, caring for them so much that she was invited for consultations in other monasteries.

The conversation with Abbess Elisaveta and nun Anna took place on a difficult day for the monastery. After the Divine Liturgy, the funeral service for Schema-nun Venedikta (Svezhentsova) began in St. Stephen's Church. Later, at the memorial meal, Mother Elizabeth will say that he was a pure person with a childlike soul. She was resigned, the mother will say, noting that mother Rachel (the nun had such a name before accepting the great schema) was always in a peaceful mood, and this was probably the result of serious inner work. Others recalled the spontaneity of the nun Rachel, who sang something all the time. Her soul sang, the sisters said. Many saw how mother Rachel fed ducks or cats with a joyful smile, worked in the barnyard, in the garden, or simply walked along the monastery alley and sang! She especially loved - “My Tsarina Preblagaya ...” The next day after she, exhausted by a serious illness, was brought from the hospital to her native monastery, the cleric of the monastery hegumen Porfiry (Klimenko), who shared with the sisters their hardships and joys for almost a quarter of a century, tonsured the nun into the great schema with the name of Benedict. Her spiritual father was the ever-remembered governor of Optina Hermitage, Archimandrite Venedikt (Penkov). Tatyana (worldly name) wanted to be with the priest all her life, to work for the glory of God, but he said that it would be useful for her to go to a convent, to become a monk. For obedience, she fulfilled the order of the confessor. Schema-nun Venedikta passed away a little over two hours after accepting the Great Schema, at the age of 59. She didn't make it to her birthday. But, according to mother Elizabeth, it was felt that she was already ready for the Kingdom of Heaven. Becoming the first Great Schema of the Stefano-Makhrishchsky Monastery, which was transformed into a female monastery at the end of the 20th century, Schema-nun Venedikta inscribed a piercingly bright page in its modern chronicle.

Interviewed by Nina Stavitskaya

Photographer: Vladimir Khodakov

There are also pictures from the archive of the monastery