Bogoroditse-Alekseevsky Monastery (Tomsk) is one of the oldest monasteries in the region. Currently, the monastery has been given the status of spiritual and cultural heritage. The history of the Bogoroditse-Alekseevsky Monastery (Tomsk), its architecture and features will be described in this essay.
History of the monastery
The Bogoroditse-Alekseevsky Monastery (Tomsk) is an Orthodox male monastery, which was founded, according to one version in 1605, and according to another - in 1622. It is known for certain that the monastery existed in the 30s of the 17th century.
Some scientists explain such an early appearance of the monastery in the newly rebuilt and founded city by the government decree on the construction of the monastery, and not by a large number of monks.
Initially, the population of the city of Tomsk consisted of rampant Cossacks, mercenary industrialists, foreign adventurers dreaming of getting rich quick, convicts, deported Poles and local Tatars. Taking into account the current situation, the government decided to buildBogoroditse-Alekseevsky Monastery in Tomsk.
Description
From 1630 to 1650, the Bogoroditse-Alekseevsky Monastery (Tomsk) was located in the place where the Kirgizka River flowed into the Tom. After 28 years, it was moved to Yurtochnaya Hill. During the construction of the monastery, underground warehouses were created, as well as exits to the Ushaika River.
In 1663, the church was consecrated in honor of St. Alexei, and from that time the monastery began to bear his name. It is noteworthy that from this monastery the control and leadership of the remaining eight monasteries of Siberia, which were part of the Tomsk category, was exercised.
Abode in the 18th century
The Bogoroditse-Alekseevsky Monastery (Tomsk) until 1764 was the only one that owned 400 serfs, and had impressive land near the Ob and Tom rivers. Also in the possession of the monastery there were lodges near the rivers Ob and Tom, where fish were fished all year round. It is worth noting that the monastery was the largest supplier of fish not only in the city, but throughout the district.
In the 18th century, a hospital was opened at the monastery, and in 1746, the first school in Tomsk. The Russian Theological School, after 16 years, was transformed into a Russian-Latin school. Since 1858, at the monastery, studies began at the theological seminary, which had an extensive library. The Bogoroditse-Alekseevskaya monastery, like other monasteries in Siberia, was a place of exile for all those who violated the monastic charter. Also secular people who fell into disgrace were exiled here.
Monastic Church
The main temple of the monastery is the Kazan Church, which has two aisles - in the name of Flora and Laurus, as well as the man of God Alexy. Initially, the temple was built of wood, because of which fires repeatedly occurred in it. Some were so strong that they almost completely destroyed the temple.
In 1789, a stone modern building was erected in the style of chrome Siberian baroque. Inside the church was the image of the Mother of God "The Burning Bush", which is especially revered by the monks. After the erection of a new temple, striking in its beauty, it was decided to build new monastery walls. However, their construction was delayed for various reasons.
In the 30s of the 19th century, according to the project of the famous architect of Tomsk K. G. Tursky, new walls of the monastery were built. A beautiful garden was laid out in the monastery courtyard, a lake was created and summer cells were arranged. There was also a cemetery on the territory of the monastery, where monks and abbots were buried.
Monastery in the 20th century
Bogoroditse-Alekseevsky Monastery (Tomsk) in the 20th century gradually fell into decay. In the summer of 1923 the monastery was closed. Since that time, all the brethren of the monastery have been in the village, where the monastery was originally located. The old wooden Church of the Intercession remained there. The monks stayed here until 1926.
In the second half of the 1920s, the monks were transferred to the fraternal corps and taken under arrest. Their further fate is unknown, however, according to monastic sources, most of them wereshot on Mount Kashtak.
After some time, the monastery territory was transferred to the Pedagogical School. The construction of new buildings for the needs of students began. In 1930, the Industrial Pedagogical Institute was opened here. During the Great Patriotic War, workshops were placed on the territory of the former monastery, in which military uniforms were sewn. In other premises, a school for the training of sanitary instructors worked.
After the war, due to a partial collapse, the holy monastery gates, as well as the corner towers, were dismantled. In the 1980s, the monastery complex began to be restored, but work was suspended due to the destruction of the Soviet Union.
Resident at present
In 1992, the Kazan Church was returned to the jurisdiction of the Tomsk diocese, and regular services began to be held there. The cell building gradually began to be restored. In July 1995, the relics of Fyodor Tomsky were found on the site of the destroyed chapel, which became one of the main monastic relics. The chapel was restored two years later.
In 2010, in the former building of the Bishop's house, and now the private monastery building, the house church was consecrated in the name of the Three Hierarchs. A new iconostasis made of marble was installed in it. The church is decorated in Byzantine style.
In 2012, it was decided to restore the Kazan Church, which by that time had fallen into disrepair. The Ministry of Culture, under a special program, allocatedfunds from the budget for these purposes. Currently, all work has been completed, and the temple pleases believers and pilgrims with its updated appearance and interior decoration.
Kazan Church is one of the most revered in Tomsk. Here you can meet a large number of parishioners every day. On major Orthodox holidays, thousands of pilgrims come to the temple to pray and touch the relics of St. Theodore of Tomsk. In addition to spiritual value, the monastery is a monument of temple baroque architecture.
Schedule of services at the Bogoroditse-Alekseevsky Monastery (Tomsk)
Services are held daily: at 7.00, 9.00 and 18.00. The schedule of church services changes during major Orthodox holidays. Information about this is always published on the official website.
Address of the Bogoroditse-Alekseevsky Monastery: Tomsk, Tomsk region, st. Krylova, 12/1.
