Nikolo-Malitsky Monastery has a rich history and is truly unique not only for the Tver land, but for the whole of Russia. It is of great importance in the revival of the spiritual life of monks through the comprehension of ancient traditions, the connection with which was cut off during the Soviet period.
Founding History
The history of the Nikolo-Malitsky Monastery began in the period 1584–1595. It was founded on the Shevyakovo wasteland during the reign of Tsar Fyodor Ivanovich. The monastery got its name from the name of the Malitsa River, which flowed in the vicinity.
At first it was a poor hermitage, surrounded by a pine forest. Gradually, through the efforts of a small number of brethren, the monastery developed and acquired land holdings. Soon, the Malitskaya Sloboda was formed near the monastery.
The proximity of the skete to the Moscow-Novgorod road attracted merchants passing by. They came here to pray to St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, patron in trade affairs, and often made valuable contributions.
Fire
Serene thoughthe poor life of the monastery ended in 1675. There was a big fire in the monastery, leaving not a single surviving building. When parsing the ashes, the monks found only one image of the patron saint of the monastery, Nicholas the Pleasant.
Such an unusual event was perceived by the inhabitants of Tver as a miracle. It was decided to restore the Nikolo-Malitsky Monastery by joint efforts, at their own expense. A year later, on the donations of the royal stolnik G. Ovtsyn, a five-domed stone church in the name of the Most Merciful Savior was erected on the site of the burnt church.
The rest of the buildings, including the fence, were built of wood. Gradually, the cells and utility rooms were restored and services resumed.
In 1751, thanks to the contribution of Countess M. Shuvalova, the monastery was completely rebuilt from wood to stone. The beginning of this was the miraculous healing of the Countess, who, being ill, stayed in Malitskaya Sloboda.
Renewed Abode
After the renovation, the territory of the Nikolo-Maletsky Monastery (Tver) acquired the shape of a quadrangle surrounded by a stone wall and a tower at each corner. Initially, the towers were crowned with high wooden domes, but by the end of the 19th century, all the buildings of the monastery were covered with iron.
In the center was the Church of the Savior, rebuilt in the shape of a Greek cross. To the east of it was a building for the brethren. In the southern part, rooms for the abbot were placed. A two-tiered bell tower towered above the Holy Gates, and on the sides - Pokrovskaya and Athoschurch.
By the middle of the 18th century, the monastery took on the appearance of a single architectural ensemble, made in the Baroque style. Favorable geographical location, many revered shrines and observance of ancient traditions, served as the reason that believers flocked here not only from neighboring villages, but also from Tver itself.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the Nikolo-Malitsky Monastery developed and prospered. The buildings that belonged to the monastery were even outside its territory. To the north of the monastery stood a stone chapel, with an iconostasis of ancient icons. Another chapel was erected along the road to St. Petersburg.
At the monastery there was a parochial school and a college. In 1880, the brethren of the monastery built country houses, which were rented out to the residents of Tver. The community was also actively engaged in economic activities. She owned her own mill and more than five hundred acres of forest and arable land.
Soviet years
After the October Revolution, all the splendor of the monastery was destroyed and lost forever. The cathedral church and other buildings were selected. The exact date of the closing of the monastery is unknown. Archival sources contain information that the Intercession Church continued to work intermittently until 1929-1933.
During the Great Patriotic War, the front line passed here and there were continuous battles. The main part of the architectural ensemble of the monastery was destroyed by enemy bombardments.
After the victory over the Nazi invaders, the Soviet authorities were unable toallocate funds for the restoration of the monastery. Residents of the surrounding villages began to use everything that could be broken out of the surviving buildings of the monastery to improve their homes - boards, window frames, doors.
The church cemetery was destroyed along with the monastery. Only a few graves on old graves have been preserved. Only the fraternal corps remained from the former majestic monastery. For some time it served as a hostel for collective farmers, but in 1980 it was abandoned and looted.
Rebirth
The first attempts to revive the monastery were made in May 1994, when a worship cross was erected near the walls of the destroyed monastery complex and a prayer service was served.
The major restoration of the Nikolo-Malitsky Monastery began in 2005. Unfortunately, it was not possible to reconstruct the monastery in its original form. The architectural ensemble of the monastery, by the time of its liquidation, consisted of various elements that took shape over two centuries. In addition, a reliable description and measurement of the destroyed buildings has not been preserved.
Therefore, the churches located in the monasteries on Mount Athos served as models for the monastery churches. Thus, the Pokrovsky Cathedral of the Nikolo-Malitskaya Monastery was made in the likeness of the Vatopedi Church of the Private Belt.
Today the monastery lives its full life. The restoration of the architectural complex is in the final stage. The duration and severity of monastic services, not only does not scare away believers, but, on the contrary, attracthere, as in the old days, more and more parishioners.
The church choir is a special pride of the monastery. All hymns are conducted in Greek according to ancient neumes. Byzantine chants differ from partes singing in asceticism and require lengthy preparation.
Address and schedule of the Nikolo-Malitsky Monastery
The revived monastery is becoming a real spiritual center of the Tver diocese. The order chosen by the brethren is as close as possible in Russia to the charter of Athos monasteries.
The schedule of divine services of the Nikolo-Malitsky Monastery includes a full daily circle, all the prescribed services, according to the order approved by the Church: from 6 o’clock in the morning, Midnight Office, Matins and Liturgy are served sequentially, and from 17 o’clock – Vespers and Compline. Before the holidays, night vigils are held, which take place from 22:00 to 4:00 in the morning.
The main part of the services takes place in the large Church of the Intercession. At the same time, electric lighting is not used - all services are performed by candlelight. According to the monastic charter, the number of lit candles corresponds to the type of service. The more solemn the holiday, the more candles are lit on the chandeliers.
There are so many Greek borrowings in the service of the Nikolo-Malitsky Monastery that for the Russian Orthodox it sometimes seems strange and not entirely clear. But it is enough to stand for a short time, immersed in prayer, as everything around becomes natural and dear.
Address of Nikolo-Malitskymonastery in Tver: the village of Nikola-Malitsa, st. Shkolnaya, 17.
