In 2013, one of the oldest monasteries in the Moscow region, the Assumption Kolotsky Monastery, celebrated its 600th anniversary. In 2012, the Bank of Russia even issued a 3 ruble commemorative coin with his image.
Many historical events and prominent figures are associated with this place. Therefore, everyone who visits there will certainly plunge into the atmosphere of the glorious past of our Motherland. One must remember one's history, and the Assumption Kolotsky Monastery is a part of it.
Location
The monastery is located in the Kolotskaya village, Mozhaisk district, Moscow region (22 km from the city of Mozhaisk). It is located in a very picturesque area: on the banks of the Koloch River (from which the village got its name). Not far from the Assumption Kolotsky Monastery there is a Holy Spring. The water temperature in it is the same all year round + 3 degrees, it has a sweet taste. Approximately 8 km from the Kolotsky Monastery - Borodino (a village near which the legendary battle of Borodino took place).
History
The monastery has a rich history. Hemany times it was ruined and restored, destroyed and again revived. Its walls keep the memory of such great events as the Polish-Lithuanian intervention, the Patriotic War of 1812, the October Revolution, the Great Patriotic War. Many prominent people have been here: Emperor Alexander I, Metropolitan Platon of Moscow, Field Marshal M. I. Kutuzov, partisan Denis Davydov, Napoleon Bonaparte.
Legend of the monastery
The emergence of the Assumption Kolotsky Monastery is associated with a legend. It says that the peasant Luka found on a tree near the river a miraculous icon of the Mother of God with the Eternal Child, on the two gates of which were the Prophet of God Elijah and St. Nicholas.
On the same day, the icon healed a paralyzed man in Luke's house. The news of this spread throughout the village, and everyone in need began to come to the icon. The icon performed miracles, all people were healed.
The peasant went to Mozhaisk land, and then to Moscow. He was met with honors and gifts by princes, boyars, clergy and ordinary people. He spent all the donations for his own benefit.
Returning home, Luke, with the active participation of Prince Andrei Dmitrievich - the son of Dmitry Donskoy - built a church for the icon. And for himself, with the collected money, he built mansions and healed like a king. He became greedy, constantly craved money, began to annoy Prince Andrei. Once, when a bear wounded Luka through his own fault, he, being near death, ordered the prince to dispose of his we alth in good conscience. In 1413 Andrei founded a monastery, the first resident (latermonk) of which the recovered and repentant Luke became.
Monastery in the Middle Ages
During the XV century Assumption Kolotsky Monastery was constantly expanding. The monastery complex already had 2 stone churches - the Epiphany Church and the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, as well as the Church of Alexy, Metropolitan of Moscow. All this was surrounded by a wooden fence.
In 1547, the feast of the Kolotsk Icon of the Mother of God was added to the church calendar, which is celebrated on July 22.
The monastery expanded, grew richer, attracted a large number of pilgrims. Even Ivan the Terrible, going on a campaign against the Polovtsy in 1563, took with him an icon of the Mother of God from the monastery.
In 1609 the monastery was destroyed by the Polish-Lithuanian invaders. But services were still held in a small church, as two large ones were destroyed.
And so it was until the 18th century, until the monastery was attached to the Novospassky Monastery. At this time, the Assumption Kolotsk Monastery flourished. All churches, bell towers were restored, a garden was planted. The monastery at that time owned more than seven dozen peasant households, 5 ponds and even a courtyard in Moscow.
Empress Catherine II allocated a significant amount for repairs.
The role of the monastery in the Patriotic War of 1812
Assumption Kolotsky Monastery in 1812 turned out to be an obstacle for Napoleon's army moving towards Moscow. The walls of the monastery were like a fortress.
They were an outpost of the Russian opposition before the Battle of Borodino. Here was the headquartersCommander-in-Chief of the Russian troops M. I. Kutuzov.
The main forces of the Russian army were concentrated near the monastery. D. Davydov planned the creation of partisan detachments. There are two memorial plaques hanging on the temple, reminiscent of this.
August 24, there was a fight with the French army, as a result of which, despite resistance, they occupied the territory where the Kolotsk monastery is located, and the Russian army had to retreat.
Napoleon's headquarters and a hospital for wounded French soldiers settled here. They caused great damage to buildings and decorations.
Napoleon Bonaparte, like Mikhail Kutuzov, surveyed the field of the upcoming battle from the bell tower of the monastery.
In October, the French engaged in a battle with a detachment of Cossacks, as a result of which they retreated. Leaving the monastery, they plundered it, burned wooden buildings.
Recovery
After such tragic events, the monastery was reborn again. This time the process was on a much smaller scale, but by 1839 it was fully restored. A temple with a miraculous icon, a four-tiered bell tower with 10 bells, and fraternal buildings were rebuilt. The children were educated at the parish school. The monastery owned 120 hectares of land and a garden. A peaceful existence has come.
The monastery after the revolution
The revolution of 1917 also affected the Assumption Kolotsky Monastery. He suffered the same fate as most Russian monasteries. He was abolished. In 1918, a commune of the poor was organized in the monastery. Walls andthe towers were destroyed. The abbots were shot on suspicion of organizing a rebellion against the Soviet regime.
The fate of the monastery in Soviet times
In Soviet times, the Church of the Assumption of the Mother of God was used both as a parish church and as a boarding school for the deaf and dumb. In 1934, the territory was finally transferred to the boarding school. The fraternal buildings were used as residential buildings, the monastery fence was dismantled into bricks, and a sheepfold was equipped in the chapel. Soon the chapel was completely destroyed. Now in its place, unfortunately, there is a power line. They tried to destroy the holy spring many times, but the locals did not allow this to happen - they constantly cleared it.
All parishioners were transferred to the Nativity Church of the neighboring village. The miraculous icon of the Mother of God was also transferred there. After that, in 1937, Matrona Ivanova went to Gzhatsk and transported the icon to the Ascension Church. In the 70s. 20th century trace of the icon is lost.
During the war years, the Kolotsk Monastery was significantly damaged: shells demolished the upper tier of the bell tower, part of the wall and the temple. The Germans used the cells as stables. Retreating, they made an attempt to mine and blow up the monastery, but the Russian troops overtook them too quickly. Enemy troops burned the village of Kolotskoye, but the Assumption Monastery survived.
In 1941 - 1945 On the territory of the Assumption Kolotsk Monastery there was a military hospital, then a bath and laundry detachment. Many soldiers who died in the hospital are buried in the fraternal cemetery, which is located on the territory of the monastery. At the end of the war, a school was built there.(in the northern cell - a library, in the south - primary classes, in the abbot's building - senior classes), the village council, and then the hospital, the maternity hospital.
During this time, the monastery suffered several fires. A large orchard was cut down for firewood. The local residents of the village were left without a roof over their heads, so they lived in preserved and even dilapidated buildings. The fence and buildings were dismantled into bricks to build ovens.
Revival of the Assumption Kolotsky Monastery
The restoration of the monastery began again in the 60s. 20th century The state put the monastery under protection. The recovery was very slow. It was at this time that the students of the Kolotsk school, together with their teachers, planted a new orchard on the territory of the Assumption Monastery, which still exists today.
And only in the 80s, when the monastery was transferred under the care of the Borodino Military Museum, the pace of repair and construction work increased. The fraternal buildings, the house church, the refectory were repaired.
In 1993, the Assumption Kolotsky Monastery in Mozhaisk was transferred under the patronage of the Savior-Borodino Convent (it became his farmstead). Then the monastery began to fulfill its purpose. The tradition of the solemn celebration of the Kolotsk Icon of the Mother of God and the procession to the Holy Spring dedicated to it was renewed. A chapel was built at the source (at the site of the appearance of the icon).
In 1997, the monastery became an independent convent. A year later, she was given a copy of the icon of the Mother of God, which, as a result, also became famous for its healing properties from drunkenness, smoking,cancer and infertility. The icon was solemnly greeted by the inhabitants of the temple, parishioners and priests. A festive service was held in her honor. And the next day, according to tradition, they made a procession along with the transferred icon to the Holy Spring, where the first miraculous Kolotsk Icon of the Mother of God appeared, and served a prayer service, blessed the water.
In 1999, His Holiness Patriarch Alexy of Moscow and All Russia visited the temple, which was the greatest event in its history.
The monastery today
Now the restoration of the Assumption Kolotsk convent continues, the territory is ennobled, repair and construction work is underway. So far, there is only one temple - the Assumption Cathedral.
There are about 20 nuns in the temple. They help the Uvarovka orphanage for the mentally retarded (give gifts, help organize holidays). They also do agricultural work.
The monastery is visited not only by pilgrims, but also by tourists. The abbesses conduct tours. They can not only gain new knowledge about historical information, but also spiritual benefits. Some people come just to help the nuns and work hard. On the territory of the monastery there is a shop where you can buy products made by the nuns of the Dormition Kolotsk Convent.
There is a library and a Sunday school.
Church service
Requirements are sacred rites and prayers performed by a priest on the need (that is, at the request) of individuals (for the believer himself or his relatives).
To the requirementsinclude:
- sacraments (communion at home, confession, baptism, wedding),
- church ceremonies (consecration of an apartment, house, car, funeral service, burial, etc.),
- prayer (prayer for the living),
- requiem service (prayer for the dead).
All of the above services are performed at the Dormition Convent.
The requirements of the Kolotsk Monastery (as well as other monasteries) are performed only for baptized people. A prayer service and memorial service can be ordered where they sell candles, and you need to negotiate with the clergy about the sacraments and church rites.
Temples of the monastery
At the moment, there are 2 churches on the territory of the monastery: a cathedral in the name of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a house church in honor of the Martyr Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna (built in 1785) and a bell tower.
In 1997 Metropolitan of Krutitsy and Kolomna Juvenaly consecrated the house church in the name of St. prmts. Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna, located in the southern private building.
In the 2000s. restored the temple - the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Holy Mother of God, which is now the artistic center of the complex. Now worship services are constantly held in it. It is single-domed, with two aisles (southern - in the name of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, acting since January 7, 2001; northern - in the name of the holy prophet Elijah). Photos of the Kolotsk Monastery, namely the Assumption Cathedral, are presented below.
In addition, on the territory of the monastery there arefraternal cells, rectory building, fence tower.
Shrines
The main shrine of the Assumption Kolotsk Convent is the miraculous Kolotsk Icon of the Mother of God, which has healing properties.
There are also particles of the holy relics of many other saints of God (for example, St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, the Monk Martyr Elizabeth).
Assumption Kolotsky Monastery in Mozhaisk is a very beautiful, memorable place. Its visit will be useful for those who want to enrich themselves spiritually, and for those who are interested in the history of the Motherland, and for those who just want to take a break from the bustle of the city in a picturesque place. It will certainly leave a mark in the memory of every parishioner who has been there, because the walls of this ancient monastery keep many memories.
