Not far from Yaroslavl, on the left bank of the Volga, the domes of the Tolga Convent rise to the sky. This ancient monastery is one of those places where for many centuries pilgrims went in an endless stream to pour out their souls in front of the icons and find grace-filled consolation in prayer. Founded in a difficult time of the Tatar-Mongol invasion and princely strife, it managed to become the spiritual center of the Yaroslavl region and, having gone through years and trials, retained this high status.
A miracle appeared on the Volga coast
In one of the chronicles that have come down to us, the history of the foundation of the Tolgsky monastery, dating back to the beginning of the 14th century, is given. It says that in 1314 the Rostov Bishop Tryphon, who was returning home after a tour of the diocese, was shown a miracle. Having not reached Yaroslavl six miles and spending the night on the high bank of the Volga, he was able to see a wonderful light rising to the sky from the opposite bank of the river and a marvelous bridge that arced over to him alongair.
When the bishop crossed it to the other side and approached the source of light, an icon of the Most Holy Theotokos appeared before his eyes, motionless frozen in the air and exuding a wondrous radiance. Falling to his knees, the venerable bishop prayed for a long time in front of the image that appeared to him, and the next day he ordered that a wooden church be erected on the site of its acquisition.
The construction of the temple and the foundation of the monastery
The news of the miracle that had happened quickly spread around the neighborhood, and by morning the coast was full of residents of nearby villages. The church was built by the whole world and, with God's help, it was completed in one day. The chronicle says that Bishop Tryphon worked on an equal footing with everyone else and personally raised freshly hewn logs that smelled of resin to the walls.
In this church, consecrated in the name of the Entry into the Temple of the Most Holy Theotokos, they placed an icon miraculously found the day before. Seeing in everything that happened a sign sent from above, the bishop ordered the foundation of a monastery there, which became known as the Tolga Monastery due to the Volga tributary of the same name located nearby. From these days began almost seven hundred years of history of one of the most famous spiritual centers in Orthodox Russia. At the same time, the feast of the miraculous icon of the Tolga Mother of God was established. They became August 8 - the historical date of her miraculous acquisition.
From the moment of its foundation and until its closure in the early 30s of the XX century, the monastery was male, and in our time, after sixty years spent by the country inIn the atmosphere of severe anti-religious pressure, it reopened as a nunnery. In the XIV century, it was a refuge for dozens of monks who wished to leave the vanity of the world and, during their lifetime, soar in spirit to the Mountain Peaks. It was not for nothing that people called monastic tonsure the acceptance of the “angelic rank.”
The fire that destroyed the monastery
But it just so happened that the enemy of the human race never dozed off and tried in every possible way to harm those who were looking for Light and Truth. Three decades had not passed since the founding of the Tolga Monastery, when he sent a terrible fire on it, which destroyed all the buildings, which, according to the custom of those times, were wooden, and, therefore, were easy prey for fire. Together with them, the archive was turned into ashes, in which all the documents related to the foundation of the monastery were stored, which made the work of historians of subsequent centuries very difficult. Miraculously, only the icon of the Mother of God survived, found again after a fire in a nearby grove.
Restoration of the monastery
Over the years, many documents of the subsequent period were lost, so the researchers got an idea about the formation of the monastery and its further development mainly from the “Tale” stored in it, which included a description of numerous miracles revealed through the icon of the Tolga Mother of God. Several editions of this literary monument have survived to this day, the earliest of which dates back to 1649 and was written by the monk of the Tolgsky monastery Mikhail. In it, he details 38 miracles over the course of almost three centuries.
Monk Michael begins his story with the fire, which was already mentioned in the article, and talks about how, with the support of numerous benefactors and donors, the monks managed to bring the burnt shrine back to life in a short time. Of course, there were some miracles here too. One of them is related to the generous contribution made by the merchant Prokhor Ermolaev, who specially arrived from Nizhny Novgorod to pray before the icon of the Tolga Mother of God for the healing of his paralyzed legs. To the greater glory of the miraculous image, he returned home already he althy.
The life of the monastery in the XIV and XV centuries
The authority of the monastery was further strengthened after the pilgrims who arrived in it in 1392 witnessed the miracle of myrrh-streaming. It happened, as the compiler of the "Tale" monk Michael writes, during Matins. Before the eyes of all those present, myrrh flowed abundantly from the image, filling the temple with an indescribable fragrance. Subsequently, it was the source of numerous healings, described in detail by contemporaries.
At the turn of the XIV and XV centuries. began an active expansion of the economic activities of the Tolgsky monastery. Yaroslavl was then a major administrative center, where the ruling princes arranged their residences. It is known that many of them gave generous contributions to the monastery for the eternal remembrance of their souls. Thus, there are records of granting vast land to the monastery, which later served its material well-being.
In the middle of the 15th century, the former Yaroslavl principality fell apartinto many destinies, and the Tolgsky Monastery ended up on the territory that belonged to the princes Zasekin. Taking advantage of the situation, they imposed tribute on the monks, which they were forced to pay annually. Such impudent requisitions, aggravated by the dishonor inflicted by the bribe-takers of the holy monastery, forced the abbot to seek protection from the great Moscow prince Vasily II the Dark. Being a deeply religious man, he did not leave the monks in trouble and took them under his protection. Since then, no one has dared to encroach on the property and rights of the monastery.
High Patron of the Monastery
The position of the Holy Vvedensky Tolgsky Monastery was further strengthened after Tsar Ivan the Terrible was healed from a leg disease there. It is known that in 1553, traveling along the Volga, he visited him and prayed on his knees in front of the miraculous image, which was the main shrine of the monastery. Feeling soon relieved, the sovereign made a rich contribution to the monastery by donating a significant amount of gold and precious stones to decorate the icon.
But most importantly, thanks to the healing of Ivan the Terrible, the Tolgsky Monastery (Yaroslavl) came to the attention of all subsequent Russian tsars, who considered it their duty to visit its walls and leave generous offerings there. Their visits brought the monastery not only honor, but also became a powerful advertisement that contributed to an increase in the flow of pilgrims, and, consequently, to replenish its treasury.
Atrocities of the Polish interventionists
Tough trialsthat fell to the lot of all of Russia during the Time of Troubles, did not bypass the Holy Tolga Monastery. This time the enemy of the human race chose the Polish interventionists as his weapon. On May 18, 1609, the detachment of Adam Vishnevetsky, who invaded its territory, plundered everything that could be taken with them, and set the monastery itself on fire. More than forty monks who tried to resist the enemy fell under the blows of Polish sabers. Later, a chapel was erected over their mass grave.
Having allowed the destruction of the Tolga Monastery, the Lord nevertheless saved for the Russians the miraculous icon of the Mother of God, which was kept within its walls. The shrine was taken out of the monastery in advance, and hidden in a safe place. In those years, she was especially dear to people, because, thanks to many miracles revealed through her, she gained fame as the first among the most revered icons of the Yaroslavl region. Immediately after the expulsion of the Polish invaders, the surviving monks set about restoring their desecrated and burned shrine.
Distinguished guests who visited the monastery
In the next two centuries, until the tragic events of 1917, monastic life flowed without serious upheavals. Each successive monarch, having ascended the Russian throne, certainly made a trip along the Volga and, among its other attractions, visited the Tolga Monastery, where he was greeted with a joyful bell ringing. The last of them was Emperor Nicholas II. Recalling his visit to the monastery, the emperor spoke with particular warmth about the unique cedar tree growing on its territory.grove.
The monastery also hosted prominent religious figures of that time, such as Metropolitan Dimitry of Rostov and Patriarch Nikon. This reformer of the Russian Orthodox Church visited her, returning along the Volga from exile, where he was once sent by Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. Having visited the Tolga Monastery on August 26 (according to the new style), the next day he gave his rebellious soul to God.
The monastery in the pre-revolutionary years
According to researchers, the monastery reached its highest point of development in the first decade of the 20th century. During this period, it was not only a spiritual, but also an educational center. On its territory, in addition to an elementary school for children from low-income families, there was a trade school where teenagers could learn the basics of various crafts. All students received free housing and meals. In addition, an agricultural beekeeping school was opened at the monastery, also intended for the children of the poor, and a hospice.
The tragedy that befell the Church
However, all this was put to an end, in October 1917, when the Bolsheviks seized power in the country. Having proclaimed the Marxist-Leninist utopia the only true doctrine and turned it into the likeness of a new religion, they began a fierce struggle against the Church. Temples and monasteries were closed all over the country, and their property was confiscated in favor of the state, or simply plundered.
In the first post-revolutionary years, the Tolgsky Monastery was spared the trouble, and the schedule of services,located at the entrance, for some time testified that the religious life in it did not stop. Nevertheless, in October 1918, the city authorities made an inventory of all the property in it, and handed over to the abbot a document indicating that from now on it belongs to the state, and the monks are provided only for temporary use.
The last decade before the monastery closed
Having assumed the right to dispose of all movable and immovable property of the monastery, the authorities were not slow to take advantage of this. Less than a year later, part of the monastery buildings was given over to a children's summer camp, which was attended by schoolchildren from Yaroslavl every year. But that was only the beginning. In 1923, by order of the party leadership, the women's monastery located nearby was closed, and part of the premises of the Tolgsky monastery was allocated for the remaining homeless women, despite the fact that it was male.
Thus, deprived of the right to dispose of their own property and burdened with caring for their new guests, the monks lived until the early 30s. During this period, services in the temple continued, despite the fact that the bells from the belfry were removed and sent for remelting. But then a government decree came out on the closure of the monastery, and the use of its territory with buildings located on it for the needs of the national economy. For many decades, the spiritual life within the walls of the ancient monastery was supplanted by the bustle of the perishable world.
The creation of the femininemonastery
The revival of the desecrated shrine began in December 1987, when, through the efforts of His Holiness Patriarch Pimen, on the site of the once liquidated male monastery, the Tolga Convent was opened near Yaroslavl. Despite the fact that all the surviving buildings were in extreme abandonment, they were able to be restored in a short time, thanks to the generosity of voluntary donors and the help of local residents. The nuns themselves took on a considerable share of the work.
Tolga Monastery: opening hours and how to get there
As a result, on July 29, 1988, the main church of the monastery was re-consecrated, and the first Divine Liturgy in many years was served there. Since that time, the monastery again took its rightful place among other spiritual centers of Russia. Every day it opens its doors to numerous pilgrims coming from all over the country to Yaroslavl.
The opening hours of the Tolga Monastery, indicated on its official website, generally correspond to the schedules adopted in most Orthodox monasteries. So, on weekdays, services begin at 6:00. Morning prayers are performed, the midnight office is performed and an akathist is read. At 7:00 a.m., the Divine Liturgy is served. On Sundays and public holidays, morning services start one hour later. At 16:00, regardless of the days of the week, evening services begin.
And at the end of the article, a few words about how to get to the Tolga Monastery. From Moscow to Yaroslavl, you can take a train departing from the Yaroslavsky railway station, and then take a fixed-route taxi No. 93G tostop Railway with. Tolgobol. From it to the monastery - no more than ten minutes walk.
