In former centuries, pious Russians used to build temples and monasteries in memory of the blessings of God, in order to thank the Creator for the mercy shown to them by ringing their bells. This is how the Brusensky Monastery appeared in Kolomna, founded in memory of the victorious campaign of Ivan the Terrible's troops against Kazan in 1552.
Laying the monastery
Having successfully completed the third campaign against the Kazan Khanate, liquidating it as an independent state and annexing it to Russia, Ivan the Terrible ordered the erection of a memorial temple in Kolomna. In the same year, at the place where on July 3 the royal regiments set off to the banks of the Volga, a stone tent church was laid, consecrated in honor of the Assumption of the Most Holy Theotokos. The Brusensky Monastery began its history with it, the first inhabitants of which were former warriors, participants in the glorious campaign.
Gradually the monastery grew, new buildings appeared on its territory. But information about the first years of the history of the monastery is very scarce and is gleaned only from inscriptions on ancient gravestones and accidentally found inthe land of the remains of the first monks who lived within its walls. However, by the end of the 16th century, the monastery declared itself in full voice.
Prosperous years
From the surviving documents it is known that thanks to the generous contributions made by the pilgrims, the central church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary was decorated with an iconostasis, the basis of which was the Deesis, which consisted of eleven icons on gold. The gospel was kept in her altar in a massive silver setting adorned with precious stones.
The monastery library was also famous, which kept many books - both liturgical and intended for pious reading. Some of them were made on parchment. But the main treasure of the monastery was the miraculous icon of the Kazan Mother of God - the first list from the image that was revealed in 1579.
The destruction of the monastery in the Time of Troubles
The peaceful life of the monastery was interrupted by the dramatic events that took place during the Time of Troubles. Quiet provincial Kolomna then faced many trials. She saw the invasion of the Polish invaders, and both False Dmitrys, and the bloody gangs of Bolotnikov. In those years, from the incessant looting, the monastery fell into complete decline and practically ceased to exist. When the fierce time passed, and its revival began, it was transformed into a convent.
By the way, the very name - Brusensky Monastery - causes controversy among researchers. Some interpret it asderived from the Old Russian word "ubrus", which means "women's headscarf". However, there is another point of view: "Brusensky" - from the word "beam", that is, a wooden pole, which was used to make a fence. Which option is closer to reality - one can only guess.
Test sent down to the sisters of the monastery
Until the end of the 17th century, the life of the sisters of the monastery was not disturbed by anything, until in 1698 the Lord sent them a test - a terrible fire broke out in the monastery, destroying most of the buildings. Four wooden churches erected by that time and all the cells of the nuns perished in the fire. Only the Dormition Church survived.
For a long time the sisters could not recover from the misfortune that befell them, so in 1725 the question of abolishing the monastery was raised. In this regard, his abbess, abbess Alexandra, and several nuns were transferred to one of the Tula monasteries. The Brusensky Monastery (Kolomna), whose name was already widely known in Russia by that time, would have disappeared, but local residents stood up for the sisters, in whom they enjoyed love and authority for their pious life. They sent a letter to the diocesan bishop, in which they pledged, if necessary, to maintain the monastery at their own expense, so long as it does not close. Their petition was granted, and both the abbess and the nuns who had left with her were returned to the Brusensky Monastery.
The beginning of the construction of stone buildings
Already from the middle of the 18th century, mindful of the troubles that brought the monastery that broke out hereonce a fire, most of the wooden buildings began to be replaced with stone ones. In particular, a brick fence was built, decorated with four turrets, each of which had its own unique look. And by the end of the century, a gate bell tower appeared.
But truly large-scale work on the territory of the monastery began in the middle of the next century, when Abbess Olimpiada, who came from a noble Cossack family, was appointed its abbess. She received this responsible post with the blessing of the Metropolitan of Moscow and Kolomna Filaret (Drozdov), who was a native of Kolomna. Abbess Olympias became the initiator of the construction of the majestic Holy Cross Cathedral, three large stone buildings, which housed the cells of the sisters, as well as many utility rooms.
Buildings decorating the monastery
In the fifties of the XIX century, the house of the abbess was erected. This building, made in the style of classicism, amazed contemporaries with its artistic perfection. In addition, the project of the house included an original technical development that made it possible to heat the upper rooms, in which the abbess's chambers were located, with heat coming through special channels from the refectory located on the ground floor.
But the Holy Cross Cathedral deserved special attention. It was erected according to the project of the architect A. S. Kutepov in collaboration with V. E. Morgan. Its appearance combines elements of classicism and pseudo-Russian style. Monumental square buildingtopped with five hipped domes, of which the central one was decorated with window cutouts, and the four extreme ones remained deaf. The exterior decoration of the walls, built of red brick and covered with white decor, is also unusually expressive.
After the death of Abbess Olympiad in 1883, the construction and decoration of the monastery was continued by her successor, Abbess Angelina. During her reign, the Brusensky Monastery (Kolomna) was expanded, and on its territory the Assumption Church was built and consecrated, in one of the premises of which an almshouse was placed. In the same period, the Assumption Church, which is the oldest building in the monastery, was thoroughly renovated and partially rebuilt.
The ordeals of the 20th century
During the Soviet period, the Brusensky Monastery in Kolomna was closed, the nuns were expelled, and church services were stopped. In the Church of the Ex altation of the Cross, deprived by that time of its tent domes, a warehouse was placed. Over time, almost all outbuildings were destroyed. In general, the monastery shared the fate of most Russian monasteries. Neither the fires nor the disasters of the Time of Troubles were as disastrous for him as the coming to power of the “God-bearing people” (the expression of Leo Tolstoy).
The Brusensky Monastery (Kolomna), the photo of which is presented in this article, began to revive only with the advent of perestroika. In 1997, for the first time in six decades, the Divine Liturgy was celebrated in the Dormition Church, which had been restored by that time. At the same time, the leadership of the Moscow Patriarchate decided toresumption of monastic life.
How to get to the monastery?
Today, the Brusensky Monastery (Kolomna) reopened its gates for all visitors and pilgrims. How to get to it? The recommendations are very simple. If you don’t have your own transport, you can use bus number 460, which stops at the Vykhino metro station, or you can also take an electric train from Kazansky railway station to Golutvin station. Then take tram number 3. For owners of personal cars, it is most convenient to use the Novoryazanskoe highway and use it to get to the Brusensky Monastery (Kolomna), whose address is: Moscow Region, Kolomna, Brusensky lane, 36.
