In Russia currently there are a large number of monasteries restored from ruins after the "management" of the revolutionary masses. And many of them are named after the consecration of the main temple in honor of the icon "The Sign of the Most Holy Theotokos." It is performed in the style of an orant, i.e. with arms outstretched to both sides, symbolizing prayerful intercession. Such an image has been known since ancient times.
Each Znamensky Monastery has its own history, and it is never prosperous. However, common to all monasteries is the moment of rebirth practically from the ashes. Let's take a look at some of the stories.
Vladimir region
In the city of Gorokhovets, located on the left bank of the Klyazma River, there is the Holy Sign Monastery. It became a convent relatively recently - on May 28, 1999. It happened with the blessing of the archbishopVladimir and Suzdal Evlogy. The monastery is protected by the state as an object of cultural heritage.
The date of its foundation still raises questions, but according to one version it was 1598. It was a fateful moment for Russia, in view of the fact that the last Rurikovich (Tsar Fedor Ioannovich) died. And, as you know, the Time of Troubles began. However, God's providence brought monks to these places, who became the first brethren of the male Holy Znamensky Monastery. The construction was carried out at the expense of Peter Lopukhin, who came from the merchant class, as well as townspeople and townspeople. All buildings at the time of foundation were wooden, which is not surprising: there was no shortage of forests in the Vladimir land.
The date of construction of the stone church of the Sign of the Virgin is 1670. Since that time, the monastery in its independent position lasted another 23 years. However, due to its small number (23 monks), by decree of Peter I, it was attached to the Holy Dormition Florishcheva Hermitage.
But "God is high, but the king is far away", and therefore no one was in any particular hurry to disband the monastery, it even continued to expand. 10 years after the sovereign decree, a bell tower was added to the Church of the Sign of the Mother of God, and then another church named after the Apostle John the Theologian. And only in 1749 did the Znamensky Monastery still become part of the Florishcheva monastery.
In the 18th century, the monastery was already surrounded on all sides by a stone fence, at the corners of which towers rose. In addition, buildings were builtfor household needs and premises for the brethren. The complex of the Znamensky Monastery was exactly what we can see today (adjusted for revolutionary "transformations").
Twentieth century
At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, the Gorokhovets Hermitage was renovated in the process of restoration work. So she met the "new" times in all its glory. Well, then everything was as always: liquidation and robbery in 1923, and transfer to the Gubmuseum as an "exhibit". Since that time, the active exploitation of the territory of the monastery began: there was a paper mill, a straw warehouse, warehouses, and even a state farm for livestock. During these years, the 18th century fence ceased to exist.
In a dilapidated state, the remains of the Holy Sign Monastery in 1994 were returned to the church. Then the Bishop of Vladimir and Suzdal Evlogy (Smirnov) annexed the territory of the monastery to the Trinity-Nikolsky Monastery. It was planned to arrange a skete here, in connection with which some buildings were restored as much as possible.
In the autumn of 1995, a church was consecrated in honor of the Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian. But later the plans of the Russian Orthodox Church changed, and a nunnery was formed on the site of the skete. Nun Raisa (Shibeko) became his abbess and then abbess (in 2006). Under her leadership, the monastery gradually comes to life.
Address of the monastery: 601460, Vladimir region, city of Gorokhovets, Znamensky site. If you wantstay here for a few days, then you need to contact the monastery at the phone number listed on the website.
Stone Mountain
In the Lipetsk region there is the Yeletsky Znamensky Monastery. Today it is a nunnery, but it was not always like this.
On this territory in 1628 there was a skete of the Trinity Monastery. The place was called Stone Mountain. And here they erected the first wooden church named after the icon of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos, and cells for the monks of the Trinity Monastery soon appeared next to it, who chose strict seclusion. The five elders who lived here in 1657 did not think that someone would disturb them. However, a quarter of a century later, Saint Yeletsky returned the schemniks to the Trinity Monastery. And there were reasons for that.
Bishop Mitrofan of Voronezh in the same year founded a convent on the site of the skete.
Century of Catherine
Church possessions have long been a stumbling block between secular authorities and the Russian Orthodox Church. Catherine II decided to dot the "i" and published in February 1764 the "Manifesto on the Secularization of Monastic Lands". According to him, all church possessions were subject to transfer to state jurisdiction. In addition, some of the monasteries, due to their small number, were subject to closure, and the rest were ranked by 3 classes.
This fate did not pass and the Yeletsky Znamensky Monastery, which, in accordance with the decree, was subject to closure. On paper, this was done, but the inhabitants of the monastery refused to leave it. For about five more years they continued to live, as before, but in 1769year, a fire broke out in the city, which spread to the monastery.
So the ashes remained from the monastery. Except for the two elders who wished to stay, all the other nuns left for other monasteries. The life of 60-year-old Xenia and 80-year-old Agafya was hard. They took refuge in the cellar, which was only partially burned out. Somehow it was adapted for housing and spent all the days in prayers for the revival of the monastery.
To help the old women, St. Tikhon sent hermit Mitrofan. Agafya was the first to not endure the harsh conditions and left this world. Ksenia was left alone, and therefore, in 1772, the nun Matrona Solntseva came from the Voronezh Convent of the Intercession to support her. Residents of the area did their best to help restore the monastery. They erected on the ashes a simple wooden church named after the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos "The Sign". This was the beginning of the parish, consisting of 29 households.
Revival attempts
The residents of Yelets and its environs repeatedly sent petitions to Catherine II to restore the monastery. It is known that in 1774 the highest command denied the request, since there were enough monasteries in Russia and there was no need to build new ones.
However, sovereigns come and go, but the Orthodox faith remains.
The number of nuns of the closed monastery increased, and in 1778 they were joined in the future by the revered Blessed Schema Melania. She remained in the monastery for about 60 years, leading the life of a hermit. Saint Tikhon often visited her. Beinghere for the last time in 1779, he determined the construction site of a stone church in honor of the image of the Most Holy Theotokos "The Sign" and blessed the nuns. Since 1804, the construction of the cathedral began, which continued even during the war with Napoleon.
The abode grew, despite the decree of the Empress. By the end of the 18th century, 40 nuns lived here in 21 cells. This could not but disturb the authorities, and in 1795 they took decisive action to evict the nuns, which was met with protests from residents and nuns. As a result, despite the existing order, the illegal existence of the monastery remained unchanged.
Second discovery
Appeals to the highest name had an effect, but already under Alexander I, who by his decree in 1822 allowed the existence of the monastery. His abbess was elected Glafira Taranova, who had previously been a nun of the Oryol Convent of the Introduction. At that time there were already 117 sisters and they lived in 46 cells. An active revival of the monastery began, as well as the construction of new buildings. The role of nuns in the life of the city also increased. In 1890, more than 100 girls became students of the church school. By this time there were already 400 inhabitants, and about 150 buildings.
Shrines of the monastery
Deserves special mention of the shrine of the Znamensky convent - the icon "The Sign of the Blessed Virgin". During the fire of 1769, she survived in an incredible way, just as in 1847, when not only the monastery, but also part of Yelets burned out. And today it is kept in the monastery, supportingsuffering and praying for healing.
The image of Christ the Savior also survived the fire of 1769 and is miraculous.
In addition, there is the icon "Three-Handed" created on Athos, as well as the image of the Kazan Mother of God, donated to the monastery by St. Theophan the Recluse.
And as before, the monastery receives the blessing of St. Tikhon of Zadonsk, whose portrait is kept by the nuns.
Testing and recovery
The monastery fell to survive the revolutionary transformations, led by Abbess Anthony. The attempts of the nuns to save the monastery were in vain. And in the late 1920s, everything happened according to a well-established scheme: the monastery was closed, the nuns were expelled or sent to camps, and the abbess was tortured to death in the dungeons of the NKVD. After 10 years, the Cathedral of the Sign was destroyed.
Since 2004, the gradual restoration of the Znamensky Monastery began. In the photo you can see how the appearance of the monastery is changing and the ruins are experiencing their second birth. In particular, in 2009 there was a revival of the Cathedral of the Sign, which is the first stone church in the city of Yelets.
A simple enumeration of the restored buildings and temples of the monastery is enough. This is:
- Spasovsky Church of the Nativity, where divine services are held today;
- wooden Church of the Wonderworker St. Nicholas, restored by the labors of the Yelets architect Novoseltsev;
- chapel "Life-Giving Spring" in honor of the icon of the Mother of God of the same name, fully restored;
- also the bell tower and the fence of the monastery.
Today, the Yelets Monastery can be reached at: st. Slobodskaya, No. 2 "A".
Volga city Kostroma
Znamensky convent in Kostroma was founded relatively recently - in 1993 in July. Its main attraction was the Resurrection Cathedral on the Lower Debra, built in 1645 by a local merchant Kirill Isakov. The history of the building could become the plot of an adventure novel. The merchant traded with England, and once, after returning from an overseas country, he found gold coins instead of paint in one of the barrels. He was a God-fearing man, and therefore everything that miraculously came to him, he determined for a good cause: the construction of a cathedral.
And the Church of the Sign (formerly called St. George), located south of the Resurrection Cathedral, was built a few years later, but taking into account its use in cold winters. At the beginning of the 19th century, it was rebuilt, after which it was consecrated in honor of the image of the Most Holy Theotokos "The Sign". His beauty was admired by contemporaries, including members of the imperial family who climbed its bell tower in 1913.
The post-revolutionary history of churches is quite traditional: closing and destruction. But the Resurrection Cathedral was a little more fortunate, since in 1946 it received permission to conduct services.
Znamensky Cathedral was restored according to archival drawings by the architect of the diocese Leonid Sergeevich Vasiliev.
The shrines of the monastery arelists of revered images of the Feodorovskaya Mother of God and St. Nicholas, as well as an ark with particles of the relics of the saints of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra.
The monastery is located in the city of Kostroma on the street. Cooperation (Lower Debrya), No. 37.
Shrine of Kursk
Men's Kursk Znamensky Bogoroditsky Monastery has an ancient history. The date of its foundation is 1613, i.e. the height of the Time of Troubles.
The monastery is known for being the place of storage of the miraculous Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God “The Sign” revered by the Russian people from 1618 to 1919. The story of its acquisition was truly connected with a miracle.
According to legend, the image was found by a certain hunter on the birthday of the Blessed Virgin (September 8) in 1295 in the forest, not far from the ancient Kursk settlement, burned by the Tatars. The man raised the icon, and a spring immediately appeared in that place. The hunter told his comrades about the miracle, and they set up a wooden chapel for the image of the Virgin.
It's been almost 100 years, and the Tatars appeared again on the Kursk land. The chapel was burned, the icon was cut into two parts, and the priest became a prisoner. However, he managed to get out of captivity (according to one of the versions, he was ransomed). Returning to his homeland, Father Bogolyub found the defiled icon and connected its parts, which miraculously grew together.
The last Rurikovich, Tsar Fyodor Ivanovich in 1597 ordered the Moscow icon painters to add images of the Old Testament Sabaoth and the prophets to the image of the Mother of God.
BIn 1615, the first of the Romanov dynasty, Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich returned the updated icon to Kursk with an order that a monastery called the Root Hermitage be founded on the site of the burned chapel, which was done.
And since 1618, from the Kursk Znamensky Bogoroditsky Monastery, the image of the Mother of God "The Sign" was transferred by procession to the Kursk Root Nativity of the Theotokos Hermitage.
Since 1919, the image has been outside of Russia. Today, the original icon is kept in New York, in the Synodal Cathedral of the Sign of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia.
As for the fate of the monastery, it largely repeats the history of many monasteries that experienced fires, destruction, and revival. After many trials that fell to the lot of the Kursk Znamensky Bogoroditsky Monastery, it was opened in August 1992. You can find it at the address: Kursk, st. Lunacharsky, №4.
With the blessing of John of Kronstadt
Serafimo-Znamensky Monastery was one of the last built during the reign of the Romanov dynasty. And the "farewell" temple on Moscow land was erected in 1913. The movement of the masses was already beginning and it was not up to the soul … However, shegumenia Tamar (nun Yuvenalia), at the behest of her heart and with the support of Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna, begins the construction of the monastery in 1910 on the lands of the Intercession Community. A little earlier, at a chance meeting with St. John of Kronstadt, she received his blessing for this good deed.
The monastery was consecrated in 1912 by Metropolitan Vladimir (Bogoyavlensky) of Moscow, who was martyred in Kyiv in 1918 during the pogrom of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. In 1924, the monastery was closed, and the abbess was exiled to the northern camps, where she "earned" consumption, from which she later died. There are archival documents that testify to how, during the closing of the monastery, mother Tamar said to the commissioners: “Now you are seeing us off, but the time will come when we will see you off”…
Today the monastery is working again at the address: Moscow region, Domodedovo city district, Bityagovo village.
These were stories of just a few of the monasteries built in honor of the icon of the Mother of God "The Sign", which is revered by all Christians as protective.
