In accordance with historical tradition and modern documents, a diocese means a local church headed by a bishop. Various church institutions are united in the diocese - from farmsteads to monasteries and churches, as well as missions, brotherhoods, educational institutions, etc. The bishop in this structure occupies a dominant place on the basis of the succession of authority from the holy apostles themselves, and manages it with the participation of the clergy and lay people. communities.
Borders between dioceses these days often coincide with administrative boundaries. They are established by a body such as the Holy Synod. Although there are exceptions to the rules. For example, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and the Exarchate in Belarus have more dioceses than regions in these countries.
When was the diocese founded in Nizhny Novgorod?
The Nizhny Novgorod diocese has a long and interesting history of origin and existence. It was going to be established back in the middle of the 17th century, when numerous Old Believers, as well as the followers of Stepan, began to move to the "Nizovsky land" from the European part of the Russian Empire. Razin. This created the prerequisites for the formation of centers of unrest in the region, which could later be turned against the state. Therefore, in 1672, to strengthen the Orthodox faith and the world, the Nizhny Novgorod Orthodox diocese was created, headed by Archimandrite Filaret, who was the head of the Caves Monastery. He ruled the diocese for 10 years and sat in the Novgorod Kremlin, which began to be considered the residence of this church unit at that time.
How the Nizhny Novgorod diocese was destroyed and revived in the twentieth century
During the years of Soviet power, the diocese, renamed Gorky, was almost completely destroyed. In 1918, many simple monks, church leaders, bishops, and archpriests were shot or drowned with their hands tied in the Volga. Similar atrocities were repeated in 1938, Mochalny Island became the center of crimes against the clergy. The last temple of the diocese was closed just before the start of the Great Patriotic War.
However, the unfavorable situation on the fronts forced the Soviet leadership to begin the revival of the Orthodox faith as early as August 1941. Then the Trinity-Vysokovskaya Church was reopened, the parishioners of which donated about one million Soviet rubles for military needs. Subsequently, the number of open and restored churches increased, and today the Nizhny Novgorod diocese has about 220 churches, nine monasteries, almost 180 parishes and 17 deaneries (groups of parishes located close to each other).friend).
Since 2012, the Nizhny Novgorod diocese has been part of the Nizhny Novgorod Metropolis along with the Lyskovsk, Gorodets and Vyksa eparchies by decision of the session of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church. Since February 2003, the head of the diocese has been Metropolitan of Nizhny Novgorod and Arzamas, Bishop of the Russian Orthodox Church George (Vasily Timofeevich Danilov).
As part of the Nizhny Novgorod diocese, today there is one vicariate - Balakhna. Its head is a vicar, a bishop (now Ilya Bykov), who is not the ruling bishop. The remaining vicariates that were part of the diocese have been abolished or transferred to the status of independent dioceses.
Seraphim of Sarov - the main patron of the Nizhny Novgorod lands
50 years after the start of the Great Patriotic War, in 1991, the relics of Seraphim of Sarov returned to the Diveevsky Monastery. They arrived in Moscow at the end of July and were sent in procession to the Nizhny Novgorod region. This saint was protected by God from an early age. In particular, during the construction of the temple, which was led by his parents, he remained unharmed when he stumbled and fell from the bell tower.
Then, in a dream, he received healing from a serious illness and was miraculously cured of dropsy after a vision of the Mother of God, who appeared to him with two apostles and told John that Seraphim was “of our kind.”
In the future, Seraphim of Sarov performed many deeds of prayer and healing. Some saw him standing above the ground while praying and later testified to this.
Except Seraphim of Sarovmore than twenty saints and many new martyrs are considered patrons of the Nizhny Novgorod land, among whom are priests who were killed for their faith in 1918 and 1937-38.
Reconstruction of Nizhny Novgorod churches
In recent years, many churches of the Nizhny Novgorod diocese are gradually moving from decline to prosperity, and anyone can participate in this process. Currently, work is underway to reconstruct the Feodorovsky Cathedral in Gorodets, the church and chapel in Nizhny Novgorod (on the site of the demolished Transfiguration Cathedral and in honor of St. etc. These places of worship can be seen during the pilgrimage.
One- and two-day religious excursions through the pilgrimage center
The pilgrimage center of the Nizhny Novgorod diocese, which has received a blessing to organize trips to the holy places of the Nizhny Novgorod region, as well as other regions of Russia and abroad, from Nizhny Novgorod Metropolitan Georgy, who has headed this church unit since 2003, contributes to attracting believers to churches and holy places. This organization is registered in the register of tour operators in Russia and offers about five dozen excursions of religious and ordinary directions. Among them are one-day excursions to Diveevo, to the Vysokovskiy Monastery, to Murom, to Arzamas to the source of the twelve holy springs, to Suzdal, to the Holy Intercession Convent, to Kideksha, which is the oldest village,founded near Suzdal even before the Slavs came to these lands. Almost all excursions are led by Orthodox guides and include participation in one or another church service with possible communion and confession.
In addition to one-day trips, the pilgrimage center of the Nizhny Novgorod diocese organizes two-day tours to Kazan (to the face of the Kazan Mother of God), Optina Pustyn, Yaroslavl, Moscow, Kostroma, Serpukhov, etc. A trip to Diveevo with a full range of services is especially popular at the relics of St. Seraphim of Sarov and other saints and great martyrs. The program includes a tour of the Serafimo-Diveevsky convent, which, according to the plan, is more like a city.
The Virgin's Groove and trips to the Holy Land
It is known that the plan of this religious monument was drawn by St. Seraphim, who never visited this place. This gives reason to believe that the monastery was planned with the blessing of the Almighty and according to his providence. According to legend, the convent was founded after the appearance of the Mother of God to Mother Alexandra, and it is considered one of the four Allotments of the Mother of God in our land. The program of such a pilgrimage also includes a visit to the Groove of the Mother of God, about which St. Seraphim said that after the coming of the Antichrist, the unclean will pass everywhere, but this groove will not jump, since the Mother of God herself measured it with her belt.
In addition, the pilgrimage center organizes trips to holy places abroad. For example, you can visit the Holy Land during Lent,including a stay in a Greek monastery on Mount Tabor, a visit to a monastery in Nazareth, a tour of the Jordan, the Church of the Nativity of Christ, the site of the Ascension of the Lord and other holy places. The Pilgrimage Center has its representatives in the Holy Land and provides the opportunity to participate in Liturgies in various churches, walk along the Way of the Cross, visit Bethlehem, and participate in the All-Night Vigil. Such trips usually take about a week, and a priest accompanies the group of believers.
Church and popular chants performed by the male choir
The Nizhny Novgorod diocese is also known for its magnificent bishops' choir. It consists of eleven people, including clergymen in the rank from deacons to bishops, who perform church singing works: chants, chants, prayers, etc., as well as chants and songs of modern and ancient authors and composers. The choir of the Nizhny Novgorod diocese is popular with parishioners, it gives charity performances and has already released two discs of popular church music. These chants have found acceptance even in the hearts of hardened rockers, who admit that they have never heard sacred music performed so well. The choir often performs without the accompaniment of musical instruments.
How a church minister should sing. Archdeacon Andrei shares his opinion
A special member of the church choir is the archdeacon of the Nizhny Novgorod diocese Father Andrei. His powerful baritone is not inferior in sound strength and richness of sound shades to the legendarythe bass of the Russian singer Fyodor Chaliapin, and maybe even surpasses him in some ways. For the first twenty-five years of his life, Father Andrei was associated with secular music, until he visited the Annunciation Monastery, where he became acquainted with church hymns. After that, he began to visit churches more often and listen to music, and, in the end, he asked permission from the shiigumen to work at the temple. A few years later he was ordained a deacon.
Protodeacon Andrei (Zheleznyakov) believes that a deacon should have experience in the ministry and be able to sing, but without praising his voice, no matter how good they are. It is believed that the priest reading the service must completely renounce earthly worries and sing for the Creator, the Creator, who gave man both life and all his abilities. Only in this case can one speak in such a way that the meaning of the prayer will reach even those who do not know Old Church Slavonic words. It seems that the bishops' choir of the Nizhny Novgorod diocese sings in such a way that it attracts the flock and lay listeners. Archdeacon Andrey shocks listeners with his voice so much that many want to confess and talk with him.
