The monastic life is chosen by those who wish to consecrate themselves to God. In the cloisters, they pray, work, get their daily bread, paint icons, celebrate church holidays.
The Annunciation Monastery (Nizhny Novgorod) has been operating since the 13th century. The monastery experienced many troubles and misfortunes during this time, but with the revival of spiritual life, the holy place became not only a haven for monks, but also an educational center.
History
The Annunciation Monastery (Nizhny Novgorod) was founded by Grand Duke Georgy Vsevolodovich and Bishop St. Simon of Vladimir. It happened in 1221, along with the laying of the city.
Eight years later, the troops of the Moscow pagan prince Purgas approached the monastery walls. The burnt and devastated monastery ceased to exist for a hundred years.
For the restoration of the monasterytook the Metropolitan of Moscow Alexy. Through the efforts of Vladyka in 1371, the white-stone Church of the Annunciation was erected and consecrated. Since then, the Annunciation Monastery (Nizhny Novgorod) began to revive. Donations were brought by both ordinary citizens and noble persons.
During the XVIII-XIX centuries, the monastery gradually became the center of the spread of Christian culture. Rare books, notes of chants were kept here. The monks were also engaged in agricultural work.
In 1919, the Annunciation Monastery (Nizhny Novgorod) was closed and destroyed. There was a city school and communal apartments for workers. The militant atheists destroyed the stone chapel, and other buildings were not repaired for many years. The circumstance that churches were considered objects of culture, and icons - artistic value, did not help either. Restoration work began only in the 70-80s of the XX century.
In 1987, the restoration of the monastery was completed, but there was no question of divine services. Church life in the monastery began to revive only four years later, when these lands were returned to the Nizhny Novgorod diocese. Archimandrite Kirill (Pokrovsky) became the first rector of the oldest Nizhny Novgorod monastery. At present, the monastery is headed by Archimandrite Alexander (Lukin).
Monastery today
A strict monastic life takes place in the Annunciation Monastery in Nizhny Novgorod: prayers, rules and Divine Liturgy are performed. The brothers travel to holy places and receivepilgrimage, excursion groups.
At the monastery there are icon-painting, sewing and candle workshops, a bakery for baking prosphora. Personalized icons are made at the request of parishioners. Seamstresses are busy not only with clothes for monks, but also with embroidery of icons. The works of masters are sold in the shop. In the same place, buyers are offered books, utensils, audio and video materials with church hymns.
About temples
On the territory of the monastery there is the Annunciation Cathedral, the Assumption, Sergius, St. Andrew's and Alekseevsky churches, the bell tower.
As mentioned above, the Cathedral of the Annunciation was erected by Metropolitan Alexy of Moscow in 1370. Years later, the temple fell into disrepair, so in the middle of the 17th century the old building was dismantled and a new building was erected. Instead of one chapter in the new temple, five were provided. The central head has a bulbous shape, small - helmet-shaped. Before the revolution, the three-meter basement was rented by local merchants.
During its existence, the cathedral was exposed to fires several times, the effects of natural disasters, and during the years of Soviet power, it was planned to arrange a museum of atheism or a concert hall in the temple building.
The Assumption Church was built in the 17th century. Today this temple is an architectural monument. The interior is covered with a closed vault with two decorative stone tents. The church is crowned with two towers, which Taras Shevchenko compared with innocent virgins. The crosses on the towers were consecrated in 2010 by the abbot of the monastery, hegumen Alexander (Lukin).
Mezhdu BlagoveshchenskySergius Church, consecrated in honor of Sergius of Radonezh, is located by the cathedral and the southern wall of the monastery. The building is decorated in the Russian Baroque style. The windows have brick architraves with broken gables.
In 2009-2010 the walls and ceiling of the temple were impregnated with a water-repellent agent, re-plastered, painted, and a new iconostasis was installed behind the altar.
St. Andrew's Church is located in the central part of the fraternal building. The walls and vaults of the building have been preserved since the 17th century, and the priors and the cells of the monks were rebuilt two centuries later. The Church in honor of St. Andrew the First-Called was consecrated in 1840.
Alekseevskaya Church was built in 1822-1824, when Archimandrite Macarius was the abbot of the monastery, and His Grace Bishop Moses was the pastor of Nizhny Novgorod. The building was erected on a small plot of land where the Holy Gates used to be.
The church in honor of Metropolitan Alexy of Moscow, who revived the monastery, was built in the style of classicism. On the four sides of the world there are pediment porticoes, the central dome has a spherical dome, and small side domes are located in the corners.
Between the Assumption and St. Andrew's Church rises the bell tower. A holy spring flows through the territory of the monastery.
This is the Annunciation Monastery (Nizhny Novgorod). The history of the monastery is an example of the fact that even after serious trials, you can rise and live on.
Skete "The Inexhaustible Chalice"
Life in the world is complicated by the fact that a person is constantly exposed tovarious temptations. Unable to resist temptation, experience difficulties and misfortunes, people sometimes commit unseemly acts or destroy themselves through drunkenness and other harmful addictions. In such cases, help is required, and it can be provided at the Annunciation Monastery in Nizhny Novgorod, or rather, at the "Inexhaustible Chalice" skete.
Skit is located in the countryside, in the building of a former military unit. People come here to pray before the icon of the Mother of God "Inexhaustible Chalice", to ask for help in healing from an illness.
Guests take care of cows, goats, poultry, restore destroyed buildings. But the main thing for those who came is to rethink their lives, find the true causes of problems that arise, and learn faith.
The fates of people who left the skete develop in different ways, but they all connect their lives with God. This is how the Annunciation Monastery in Nizhny Novgorod helps the laity.
Shrines
The most revered in the monastery is the Korsun Icon of the Mother of God. It was bestowed by Metropolitan Alexy of Moscow when he was restoring the monastery. The image consists of three wings. On the right hand of the Mother of God, the archangel Gabriel is depicted, on the left - John the Baptist. Unfortunately, only a description of the image has survived to this day. The icon itself disappeared without a trace under Soviet rule. Brothers and visitors to the monastery pray before the list.
Also in the monastery are the icon of the Mother of God "Quick Hearer", images of the Mother of God of Iberia and Smolensk, Saints Alexy the Metropolitan with a particle of his relics, John of the Ladder.
BThe monastery is often visited by pilgrims and simply church-going people. They bow to a particle of the Holy and Life-Giving Tree of the Cross of the Lord, the relics of St. Anthony the Great, the great martyr healer Panteleimon and other saints.
Educational institutions
The Nizhny Novgorod Theological Seminary operates at the monastery. It trains theologians, ministers of the church. Higher spiritual education is fundamentally different from secular. Prior to admission, applicants provide recommendations from the parish priest, a baptismal certificate, and those who are married, and about the wedding. Those who are divorced and remarried will not be accepted to study.
Those who successfully passed the entrance exams will have an interview with the rector. The ruling bishop of the Nizhny Novgorod region evaluates not only the cultural level, but also the moral character, church-goingness of a young man.
Seminary rules are very strict. Students must wear uniforms, prepare diligently for class, pray, and perform obediences.
After defending their diplomas, graduates choose where to serve them. The object of choice is the Annunciation Monastery (Nizhny Novgorod), whose photos are beautiful.
Since 2012, residents of the city have the opportunity to attend Sunday school. Schoolchildren and adults study the New Testament, Catechism, temple studies, church history, moral theology. They work with preschoolers according to the author's program, which includes such sections as "We and the World", "Orthodox Reader", "Children's Prayer Book" and "He althy".
Periodicals
The Zdravnitsa online magazine is published in the Nizhny Novgorod Annunciation Monastery. The pages of the periodical publish the words of pastors, articles about memorable dates, pilgrimages to holy places, spiritual development of the individual, and the upbringing of children.
Materials are divided into sections in accordance with the components of the personality of a Christian: spirit, soul, body.
The goal of the project is to contribute to the preservation of the moral he alth of the family, the development by parishioners of the traditions of Orthodox culture. The editorial board is headed by Archimandrite Alexander (Lukin), and Archbishop Luka of Crimea and Simferopol has been chosen as the patron saint of the journal.
Annunciation Monastery (Nizhny Novgorod): how to get there
The monastery is located at: Nizhny Novgorod, Melnichny Lane, 1. Trams (Blagoveshchenskaya Square stop), buses and fixed-route taxis (Chernigovskaya Street and Rozhdestvenskaya Street stops) go to the holy place.
You can get on the tour both individually and as part of a group (up to 25 people). The smaller the group, the more expensive the cost of visiting the monastery. For children, the service will cost twice as much as for adults. With the blessing of the governor, excursions are free of charge. The time of arrival is agreed in advance. Residents of other cities have the opportunity to visit virtual tours.
Annunciation Monastery (Nizhny Novgorod):worship schedule
In the Cathedral of the Annunciation, services begin at six o'clock in the morning with the fulfillment of monastic rules. Confession is taken at 7.30, time from 7.40 is given over to the clock, and at 8.00 the liturgy is served. This is followed by prayers and requiems. They gather for Matins and Vespers at 4:00 pm. After that, the evening monastic rule is performed.
On weekends and holidays at 7.15 a water-blessed prayer service is performed, after which confession is taken. The hours are moved to 8.40, and at 9.00 there is a liturgy. After the liturgy, a festive prayer service is served.
In Alekseevsky Church, Liturgy, Matins and Vespers are served daily, except Monday and Tuesday. Liturgy begins at 7:00 am, and Matins and Vespers begin at 5:00 pm. On Sundays and holidays, the liturgy is postponed an hour later, and an all-night vigil takes place from 5 pm.
From June to August and from December 30 to January 19, when seminarians rest, services are held daily. Liturgy is served at 8:00 am, and Matins and Vespers are served at 5:00 pm.
On Saturdays, believers gather for a memorial service, and on Sundays for a liturgy and a prayer service for the blessing of water.
