The Holy Assumption Pochaev Lavra is considered one of the most significant shrines in Orthodoxy. It is located in western Ukraine, annually receives numerous pilgrims and believers. This ancient monastery, along with two others, is considered the most beautiful in Eastern Europe. He is famous for his piety, as well as the miraculous icon of the Virgin.
History of the Pochaev Lavra
The monastery is located in western Ukraine, near the city of Pochaev, in the Ternopil region. A lot of legends and retellings are connected with its occurrence, and there is also no reliable data on early history. However, among the local monks there is a belief that the Assumption-Pochaev Lavra appeared thanks to the monks from Kyiv. They came here in search of shelter after the ruin and destruction of the city, as well as their monastery in 1240 by Batu.
It was here, in Volyn, that he had a vision of the Virgin. She appeared with a fiery flame, holding a scepter in her hand, and on her head was a crown. This visionleft a mark on the stone (the right foot of the Mother of God), which later became a healing source for all those who suffer. Stories about this phenomenon began to spread farther and farther, many came here to pray, some remained to live here as monks. As a result, after some time, the Holy Assumption Skete began to be laid on this site as a memory of the Kyiv Lavra, which was destroyed.
A new page in history
It is believed that until the 15th century, the Pochaev Lavra was in ruins, so almost nothing is known about it. A new round in the development and glorification of the monastery took place in 1597, when the we althy landowner Anna Goiskaya moved to these lands. Obviously, she was God-fearing, as she donated a significant amount of money to the development of the Lavra. The Pochaev Church and cells for monks were completed on them.
In addition to money, Anna Goyskaya donated land plots and estates. All this confirmed the status of the monastery officially. A significant gift to the Pochaev Lavra was the icon of the Mother of God, which was kept by the landowner for about thirty years and was miraculous. Near her, the healing of Anna's brother, Philip Kozinsky, happened. He was blind from birth, and after fervent prayer beside the icon miraculously regained his sight. This was the beginning of the fact that the Holy Pochaev Lavra became one of the major Orthodox centers in western Ukraine. This was especially evident when, after the approval of the union in 1596, persecution and the imposition of another religion began. All this contributed to the strengthening of the Orthodox spirit and faith. ATduring this time, many found refuge here, fled from the persecution of the Uniates and Catholics.
By the end of the 17th century, the monastery became very famous. At that time, Job of Pochaevsky was his abbot. Under his wise leadership, the Pochaev Lavra flourished. A school, a large printing house, the Church of the Holy Trinity appeared here, which became the vault for the foot of the Mother of God. Attention was also paid to other buildings, for example, a defensive wall, various temples, and outbuildings were erected.
Job Pochaevsky lived until 1651, and in 1659 his imperishable relics were discovered. The abbot was elevated to the ranks of saints. In 1721, the monastery became the residence of the Greek Catholics and for almost a century turned into their monastery. And only in 1831 the temple complex returned back to Orthodoxy. And in 1883, the Holy Synod awarded him the status of a Lavra. From that moment a new round began. A lot of work was carried out on the arrangement, which led the laurel to the form that we know.
Later she survived the atheism of the Soviet Union. The monks of the Pochaev Lavra accomplished a real feat, maintaining an endless faith. It was a time of persecution, executions, prisons. Members of the religious community were sent to psychiatric hospitals. As a result of all this, the number of monks living here has significantly decreased. The collapse of the Soviet Union gave rise to the emergence of new powers, a new state, which began to treat the church differently. Thus, another page in the history of the Lavra was opened. In 1997, the monastery acquired the status of stavropegic, which means directsubmission to the metropolitan.
Architecture
The Pochaev Lavra, whose photos do not convey all its grandeur, is very interesting from the standpoint of architecture. This is due to the fact that for some time the monastery was under the leadership of another denomination. The Lavra itself is located on a high mountain, at the foot of which stands the town of Pochaev. The monastery complex, in addition to buildings, also includes defense structures that were erected in the 17th century. In general, everything looks very majestic and picturesque.
The main decoration is the Church of the Assumption of the Mother of God. It was built during the reign of the Uniates with the help of donations from Nikolay Potocki. This was in 1780. The building was built in the late Baroque style on the site where a wooden temple stood. The miraculous icon of the Mother of God is also placed here. Under this temple there is another one, in which the relics of St. Job, the first abbot of the monastery, are kept.
You can visit and see with your own eyes all the beauties that abound in the Pochaev Lavra. Photos can only convey the general mood, but to feel the spirit of the times and goodness, you should visit here.
Below the slope of the mountain, another church was built, which is suitable for prayer deeds. This is the temple of St. Anthony and Theodosius of the Caves. In addition, the temple complex has such a masterpiece as the Holy Gate. Also on the territory of the monastery is the Holy Trinity Cathedral, which was built by the then famous architect O. Shchusev.
It should be noted that the icons of 1646 have been preserved in the Lavra. Though periodicallyeverything is being restored, but the spirit of antiquity, the ancient saints, has been preserved to this day.
Legends of the monastery
The Holy Dormition Pochaev Lavra is replete with various legends about healings from diseases, deliverance from invaders thanks to fervent prayer to the Mother of God. Many of them are recorded, but even more miracles happened after being alone with the Virgin. There were also just visions, signs from the Mother of God that this place was protected by her. For example, even before the construction of the monastery on this mountain, there were many signs that this place was special. Here is one of them.
In November 1197, hunters who stopped for the night first heard thunder, then saw a deer. They tried to kill him, but they couldn't. When the hunters began to approach the deer, he ran away, and after him there was a fiery trail that led to the sky. After some time, the hunters again spent the night here. Among them was John Turkul, a local landowner. The Mother of God came to him in a dream, who said that she liked this place and in the future it will be prayerful.
There have been enough of these signs. Many people even came here specifically to see something unusual.
Monastery shrines
Can the Pochaev Lavra, where there are so many shrines, be unrevered? Of course not. One of the main objects of veneration is the foot of the Mother of God, which appeared to the praying ascetics on the mountain. After her disappearance, a trace of the right foot of the Virgin remained on the stone, which gradually filled with water. Since then, this imprint has been constantly filled with a healing liquid, for whichfrom all over the world.
The relics of two elders are also revered as shrines: the Monk Amphilochius of Pochaev and the Monk Job of Pochaev. Both performed miracles both during life and after death. For example, over the tomb of Job, one can still see the radiance that happened over his body immediately after his death.
Miraculous icon
Separately, it is necessary to tell about the icon of the Mother of God, which was presented to the Lavra by the landowner Anna Goyskaya. She also presented it to Metropolitan Neofit for hospitality.
The first miracle that happened thanks to the icon was the insight of Anna's brother, who was blind from birth. After that, the landowner presented the image of the Virgin to the Pochaev Lavra.
The second recorded case of the miracle of the icon was punishment. In 1623, Andrei Firlei stole it from the monastery. He and his wife mocked the shrine. But then the wife of Firlei was overcome by demons, and she was possessed by them until the icon was returned to the monastery.
More than once the Pochaev Lavra was besieged by invaders. In 1675 Sultan Mohammed wanted to capture it. However, all the monks began to pray, which continued all night. And a miracle happened. The holy place was defended by the Mother of God herself, who appeared in bright clothes with protecting angels before the horde of invaders. All the arrows that flew towards the monastery came back. The entire enemy army fled in horror.
At the same time, another miracle happened to a young man who was captured by the Turks. Sincere prayer to the Mother of God saved him - he wasmoved to the monastery. The chains are still there. Later, miracles also continued to happen. Count Potocki was unable to kill the coachman, who turned towards the monastery. He fired three times, each time the gun misfired. It was a miracle that made an indelible impression. Obviously, therefore, the count after allocated significant amounts to the monastery. If we talk about healing, then the Pochaev shrine is especially favored by those praying who do not see well or are completely blind.
Oil paints were used to write the icon, its basis is a linden board. The image depicts the Mother of God, who holds the baby in her right hand. In the left hand - board. Both have crowns on their heads. The icon also depicts saints (there are seven of them).
Famous chants
No less famous is the choir of the Pochaev Lavra, which is truly the standard of church hymns. The acoustics of the temple in which the performance takes place also gives them a special sound. You can hear the singing when you come to the Lavra. It will be truly unforgettable, especially for true believers. Also, in our age of technology, the chants of the Pochaev Lavra can be purchased on record. This is perfect for those who do not have the opportunity to go and listen to everything live.
Holy elders
The Pochaev Lavra is famous for its elders. The most famous, of course, are two. These are Amphilochius and Job, who were elevated to the rank of saints. Let's talk about them in more detail.
Rev. Job of Pochaevsky
The old man comes from a noble family, but since childhood he wanted to become a monk. At the age of 12, Job became a monk. All his life he zealously served the Lord God. For a long time he was hegumen of the Pochaev Lavra, he did many great things for its glory. During his lifetime, a printing house and a school were opened. It was a difficult time for Orthodoxy, but Job firmly stood his ground, condemning the adoption of the union. He also had a revelation of his death. The elder prayed to the Lord and peacefully departed into the other world. After his relics were opened, many miracles and healings were performed.
St. Amphilochius of Pochaev
This old man is almost our contemporary. He was born in 1894 to a peasant family. His father was an excellent chiropractor, so his son adopted his skill. In 1925, the Pochaev Lavra received another novice, and in 1932, a monk. In the monastery, Amphilochius became famous as a doctor and chiropractor. He constantly received those who were suffering not only physically, but also spiritually. Through his service to God, he received the gift of clairvoyance and healing.
Since the 50s, during the persecution of the church, the monk lived in his native village. Every day he served prayers, continued to help people. At night he stood in prayer. There are many memories of this period of those who came to him for help.
Elder Amphilochius also foresaw his death. He was poisoned by one of the novices, who was a KGB agent. The monk died in 1971, urging the faithful to come with their needs to his grave. He said that even after death he would not forget about them. The first healing took place immediately after the funeral service. In 2002, the elder was ranked among the saints. The ceremony took place inPochaev Lavra, during which two crosses were visible above it. Many of those present said that these were two monks - Job and Amphilochius.
Other elders
There were other elders of the Pochaev Lavra who became famous for their deeds in the field of serving the Lord.
Elder Demetrius
He is also our contemporary. Born in 1926 in the Chernivtsi region. From the age of 13 he was a novice in the St. John the Theologian Khreshchatitsky Monastery, and immediately became a monk. In 1959 he was transferred to the Pochaev Lavra.
Elder Demetrius had various talents and was known not only in Ukraine, but also outside of it. He achieved particular success in church singing. It is believed that under his leadership the choir improved its skills. The elder's sermons were also famous. He was buried at the Lavra cemetery.
Elder Theodosius of Pochaevsky
His service to the Lord took place in difficult times for Orthodoxy. Little is known about the life of the elder before coming into the bosom of the church; he did not talk much about it. He took the tonsure at the age of 55, in the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, where he remained. After its closing, he went to the Caucasus and lived there for some time. After the Soviet authorities banned residence in the Caucasus, Theodosius went to the Pochaev Lavra, where he lived for the rest of his life.
He was an amazing man. He never said too much, only if it was necessary to tell some kind of instructive story. He received the gift of insight for his diligence in the ascetic life, he could carry out successful proofreading.
Healing Lake HolyAnna
This reservoir is a place of constant pilgrimage, like the Pochaev Lavra. The lake of St. Anne is located in the village of Onishkovtsy, near it and the monastery is located. The water temperature here is always unchanged - 5-8 degrees. Nevertheless, many pilgrims rush to plunge into the holy and healing waters in the hope of gaining he alth. Many say that healing is due to the high content of silicon in the waters, as well as a large amount of silver ions.
However, there are legends according to which there used to be an Orthodox church at the site of the spring. When there was an invasion of the Tatars, she miraculously sank underground and thus escaped ruin. After some time, there was another sign - the appearance of the icon of St. Anna. They tried to move her many times, but she kept coming back. As a result, they decided to build a chapel here. After some time, a healing spring appeared at this place. In Soviet times, they tried many times to destroy it, but nothing worked.
So, in this area, not only the Pochaev Lavra is famous, where the foot of the Virgin with healing water is located, but also the water of Lake St. Anna. Women come here very often, as the water is especially useful for those who are trying to get pregnant. Despite the icy water, after leaving the pool, people notice warmth and heat in the body, there have not yet been cases of colds from swimming in the lake. It is believed that such dipping helps to harden the body and increase vitality. Some even believe in the effect of rejuvenation.
For those who come to experience the healing power of the source, there aresome rules:
- it is desirable for women to be in long shirts, to cover their heads;
- for everyone - underwear must be new;
- before diving, you should read the prayer “Our Father”, cross yourself, then turn to St. Anne;
- after you can dip, you need to do this three times with your head.
Many people know that really sincere prayer works wonders.
Tours
Pochaev Lavra is very famous among pilgrims. Excursions to this place are organized in large numbers. Arriving here, you can visit the healing spring and collect holy water from there, kneel before the icon of the Mother of God and offer her a prayer, stand near the relics of Saints Job and Amphilochius. Surely such an excursion will not leave anyone indifferent, and everyone will want to come here again.
Very many who had the opportunity to visit such a place as the Pochaev Lavra left enthusiastic reviews. Everything here is permeated with the goodness of many monks and elders. And it is not for nothing that the Pochaev Lavra is truly one of the holy Orthodox places.
