The Epiphany Abraham's Monastery, the photo of which can be seen below, is located in a beautiful place on the shore of Lake Nero in Rostov Veliky. This one of the oldest monasteries in Russia is an unsurpassed historical monument of architecture and church culture.
History
Exact data on the founding of the monastery has not been preserved. Presumably, the monastery appeared on the site of the Veles temple at the end of the 11th century. Its founder was the Monk Abraham, who at that time settled in the vicinity of Rostov.
Nothing was known about the state of the monastery and its inhabitants until the beginning of the reign of Ivan the Terrible. One can only assume that the monastery aroused hatred on the part of the pagans, who prevailed among the local population. The annals mention that the Rostovites made several attempts to burn down the monastery, but against all odds, it survived.
On the part of Christians, the monastery enjoyed great love. Gradually, the number of brethren increased so much that it was necessary to constantlyexpand its scope. Stone temples were built on the site of wooden churches.
The Male Epiphany Abraham Monastery performed several functions in Rostov at once. It was the center of the Christian faith and book education, and also the first to meet enemies approaching the city and served as a fortress.
In the 16th century, just before the campaign against Kazan, Ivan the Terrible himself visited the monastery. And when he returned with a victory, he allocated funds for the construction of a new Epiphany Cathedral.
The Vvedensky Temple was built after him. In the 17th century, the contribution of local landowners was the construction of the third, gate church of the monastery - the Church of St. Nicholas the Pleasant.
In 1915, the brethren of the Epiphany Abrahamiev Monastery were transferred to the Yaroslavl Monastery, and the sisters of the Polovtsian Monastery, which temporarily became a female monastery, moved here.
Soviet times
With the advent of the revolution, a hard time came for the monastery. In 1918, all church property was confiscated, which undermined the economic situation of the monastery.
All utensils, inventory, livestock, hay and horses were confiscated. The inhabitants were assigned to serve a labor service at a local dairy plant. The premises of the monastery housed a factory dormitory, a nursery and a prison for tax evaders.
By 1929, all valuables were nationalized or looted, and the monastery itself was liquidated. Fences from the graves of the monastery cemetery, personal and church property were stolen, and barbaric acts were committed against buildings.
Subsequently, the authorities filled up the necropolis, and in its place a city square was laid out. The walls of the monastery were dismantled by local residents for personal needs.
Rebirth
In 1993, the courtyard of the Moscow Savior Church was opened on the territory of the monastery, which was transformed a year later into the Patriarchal Compound, which, in turn, in the winter of 2003 was reformed into the Epiphany Avraamiev Convent.
From that time on, the monastery was reborn right before our eyes. First, the St. Nicholas Church was restored, where daily services are held to this day.
A year later, a metal fence was erected around the monastery. The road has been backfilled and sewerage has been laid, repairs have been made to residential buildings, and a garden has been laid out.
Temple of the Epiphany
This is the main church of the Epiphany Abrahamiev Monastery in Rostov. The first wooden church was built on this site in 1080. And in 1553, at the behest of Ivan the Terrible, the stone Cathedral of the Epiphany of the Lord was erected and painted, at the consecration of which the tsar was personally present.
Built at the same time as St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow, the monastery's cathedral bears some resemblance to this Orthodox shrine. The five-domed temple has the shape of a cube. The main aisle is crowned with a tent, and the aisle of John the Baptist is crowned with a hill of kokoshniks in the style of Russian architecture. A belfry tower was built over the chapel of St. John the Theologian in imitation of the ancient masters in the 19th century.
Sorry, currentlyThe cathedral is in a deplorable state and needs a complete restoration. From what the temple originally looked like, almost nothing remains. All the paintings were completely destroyed, except for a few fragments on the southern wall.
The brickwork of the walls is severely deformed and is gradually collapsing. Some restoration work was done in the 1970s, but it was not enough.
Vvedensky Temple
The two- altar church-refectory of the Epiphany Abraham Monastery was erected in 1650. The construction was carried out when the monastery had already recovered and strengthened after the ruin in the Time of Troubles.
The original appearance of the church has not been preserved at all. It was completely modified in 1802 and acquired the features of provincial classicism. In connection with the overhaul, elements of ancient architecture were destroyed. Once the Vvedensky Church was a single ensemble with the Epiphany Cathedral and had connecting passages.
Now the shrine, like the cathedral, is not in the best condition.
St. Nicholas Church
The road to the monastery at its end rests directly on the gate church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, which has two towers on the sides, which have been preserved from the very first building in 1691.
The stone temple itself, built with the money of the Rostov landowners Meshcherinovs in 1685, was badly damaged by fires and was rebuilt by the architect Y. Pankov in 1837. At the same time, a stone bell tower was erected.
Currently, it is in St. Nicholas Church that allmonastic services. Here are the relics of St. Abraham.
Necropolis
According to monastic traditions, within the walls of the monastery, near the temples, there is usually a cemetery for the burial of dead inhabitants. So in Rostov the Great, the Epiphany Abraham Monastery had its own graveyard, located on the northeast side of the Epiphany Cathedral.
It was active until 1920. The reason for its demolition was the decision of the authorities to use the cemetery area for a park. Some of the monuments were taken away by the relatives of the buried, and most of the graves were simply looted.
In 1997, during the work on the improvement of the territory of the Epiphany Abraham's Monastery, a large number of both whole and fragmented tombstones were found on the site of the necropolis, from which it became clear that not only monks and novices, but and deceased local residents.
The heart of the monastery cemetery was the chapel that stood here. It was located at the burial place of the monastery elders Pimen and Stakhia. From the surviving historical documents, it can be seen that in 1629 the chapel already existed.
The chapel is mentioned in more detail in the monastic documents of 1853, where it is said that it was erected at the expense of the merchant N. Khlebnikov in gratitude for getting rid of a headache. The same documents say that the chapel enjoyed the attention of pilgrims and townspeople. Panikhidas celebrated it every day.
In the same 1997, during earthworks, it was discovered completelythe preserved foundation of this chapel from which it is clear that its building had a square shape. At the base of the walls, in the southeast and northwest corners, there were well-preserved tombstones that did not have any inscriptions.
Inhabitants and abbots of the Epiphany Abrahamiev Monastery
The history of the monastery is not only an architectural description of its buildings, but the life story of its inhabitants. One of the first well-known abbots of the monastery was St. Ignatius, who at a young age renounced the world and became a monk. This is the only saint whose incorrupt relics were never buried.
Another rector of the monastery was Bishop Arseniy, who took the tonsure after losing his wife and children. It was he who later ordained St. Stephen of Perm as a deacon. Bishop Arseniy is buried in the Assumption Cathedral.
According to legend, the Monk Pimen the Recluse also lived in the monastery. It is also known that during the period of Iona Sysoevich's rectorship, the well-known blessed Athanasius was in the monastery. He enjoyed the favor of the Metropolitan and even ate with him at the same table.
A special page in the history of the Epiphany Abraham's Monastery is occupied by abbots such as Bishop Neophyte, Bishop Nathanael, Archbishop Justin. The last rector was Archimandrite Neofil (Korobov), who was later canonized as a Holy New Martyr and Confessor of Russia. In 1937 he was arrested and later shot.
Total, starting with St. Abraham in 1080 and ending with today's abbessAbbess Miropia, appointed to the post in 2003, the monastery had 68 priors in its history.
Monastery today
Daily in the Epiphany Abrahamiev Convent (Rostov Veliky) divine services are held, which take place in the St. Nicholas Church according to the following schedule:
- 6:00 - early liturgy.
- 17:00 - evening liturgy.
Those who wish can sign up for a long commemoration of he alth and repose.
The Epiphany Abraham Monastery is located at the address: st. Zhelyabovskaya, 32.
The place is located 3 kilometers from the Rostov Kremlin in the northeast, near Petrovsky Sloboda.
From the center of Rostov to the monastery there are fixed-route taxis No. 1, 3. You should get off at the stop "Labaz Store".
