Not far from Tver, just 22 km from the city, on the left bank of the Volga, is the Orshin Monastery. It got its name due to its proximity to the Orsha River, which flows into the Volga in these places. About the Ascension Orsha Convent, its origin, history and features will be described in this article.
Foundation of the monastery
The exact date of foundation of the Orshina monastery is unknown. There is currently no documentary evidence of the early period of its existence. However, the history of the monastery is closely connected with the Savvatiev Sretenskaya Hermitage, which is located nearby.
Savvaty Orshinsky, who founded the hermitage, was especially revered on the Tver land. According to legend, he belonged to the brethren of the monastery in Orsha, and from there he made his pilgrimage to the Holy Land. It is known that Savvaty died in 1434, therefore, the Orshin Monastery already existed at the beginning of the 15th century.
In the 20th century, a collection of manuscripts was found that dates back to around 1455. They say thatPrince Boris Alexandrovich ordered the construction of a monastery near the Volga River on Orsha. It is known that the prince ruled the Tver lands from 1425 to 1461, which means that the monastery definitely existed at the beginning of the 15th century. These are the conclusions reached by the researchers who worked on establishing the date of the founding of the Orshina Monastery.
Flourishing period
In the 16th century, the monastery had a fairly vast territory. As evidenced by the scribe book of 1540, the possessions of the monastery included: 53 villages, 4 villages and 3 repairs. The reign of Ivan the Terrible was marked by a very important event for the monastery. The Ascension Cathedral with two chapels was built of stone in the name of the holy martyr Catherine and Onufry the Great. This cathedral is not mentioned in the scribe book, which indicates that it was not built at that time.
The exact date of construction of the cathedral was set in the middle of the 19th century. So, the Archbishop of Tver Gregory, on one of his visits to the monastery, drew attention to the dilapidated iconostasis, and also pointed out that the floor in the church had been replaced from brick to wooden.
During the repair work under the old altar, three ancient antimens (cloth cloth for worship) were discovered. One of them had an inscription that the temple was consecrated on November 2, 1567.
Abode in the 18th and 19th centuries
Ascension Orshin Monastery in the 18th century is going through a difficult time. By decree of Peter I in 1721, some monasteries were closed, while in others the number of monksdecreased. It was ordered to have as many monks at the monastery as to be enough for divine services and property management, but their number should not exceed 30 people.
In 1764, monastic states were introduced, now the monasteries did not have any villages, not villages, but received maintenance from the treasury. The nuns ate on donations and maintained vegetable gardens. However, things gradually improved in the 19th century.
During the replacement of the iconostasis and the floor in the middle of the 19th century, a bell tower and a warm chapel church were added to the cathedral, and major repairs were also carried out. The new aisles were consecrated in honor of the Theodore Icon of the Mother of God, Dmitry of Rostov and Barsanuphius of Tver.
Monastery in the 20th-21st centuries
After the October Revolution in 1917, the Orshin convent did not stop its work, but changed its status. It becomes an artel in which the nuns work on the lands that previously belonged to the monastery.
In 1919, the premises in the courtyard of the monastery were nationalized, and an elementary school was opened in them. In the same year, a decree was issued on the liquidation of the monastery and the working artel. However, even despite its entry into force, the monastery is not closed and the nuns live and work in it until 1937. In 1937, the monastery was closed, and its premises were transferred to the collective farm.
In 1992, the revival of the Orshina Monastery began. The gradual restoration of the premises begins, services are held. In 1996, a wooden temple was erected in the name of the founder of the monastery -Savvaty Orshinsky. It was built in strict accordance with the church, which was erected in Kizhi in the 14th century.
Currently, the monastery is active, nuns live here, but it is open for visits by both pilgrims and tourists. Divine services are regularly held in the church of the monastery. Everyone is invited here to get acquainted with its history, listen to church monastic singing. Every Christmas, the monastery hosts international readings of the Holy Scriptures, which bring together believers from all over the world.
