Veliky Novgorod throughout its history has been in the thick of historical events. It was a city of artisans, the path "from the Varangians to the Greeks" passed through it, which contributed to its development and elevation.
Staraya Ladoga, and then Novgorod - the two northern capitals of Russia, which were in the X-XIII centuries. cities next in importance after Kyiv.
Novgorod with its veche until the 16th century was a stronghold of medieval feudal democracy, which was eventually destroyed by Ivan the Terrible.
Churches were erected on Novgorod land by the efforts of the Rurik princes who converted to Orthodoxy, from Yaroslav the Wise to Ivan III.
During the reign of Yaroslav the Wise, Novgorod icon painting appears, literacy develops, the first monasteries are built. Today, these are world monuments of architecture included in the list of UNESCO sites.
Today there is a growing interest in architectural monuments. Novgorod has become a famous tourist center. The monasteries of the Novgorod region attract attention with the beauty of architecture and nature surrounding them.
According to statistics, the city is visited annually by more than thirty thousand tourists from abroad and at least two hundred thousand Russian tourists.
Monasteries of the Novgorod region
Old Russian monasteries are of particular interest to visiting tourists. And there are many of them in the Novgorod region.
In 1030 Yaroslav the Wise founded St. George's Monastery. It is located on the banks of the Volkhov at the place where it flows into Lake Ilmen.
At the beginning of the 12th century, the Pokrovsky Zverin Convent was founded. In the middle of the XII century, the Holy Spirit Monastery appeared. It has been mentioned since 1162. During the Time of Troubles, it was devastated and heavily destroyed. After the revolution, it was closed, a factory was placed in its buildings.
At the end of the 12th century, the Varlaamo-Khutynsky monastery was founded, which became famous in the 15th century. after a visit by Ivan III. Damaged during the Great Patriotic War, in 1994 it was revived as a nunnery.
Many monasteries of the Novgorod region are active. There are some that need restoration. There are many of them, and you can’t tell about all of them in one article - you get a whole book. Let's talk about two - Rdeysky and Iversky.
Rdeisky Dormition Monastery
It appeared in the middle of the 17th century among the impenetrable swamps on the shore of Lake Rdeyskoye. The place for the monastery was chosen on a protruding piece of land, surrounded on three sideswater.
The fate of the monastery from the very beginning was unsuccessful. In 1764, with the adoption of the law on secularization, the monastery land was transferred to the state, and all property was distributed to other monasteries.
The parish of the Assumption Cathedral, due to its remoteness and inaccessibility, was transferred to the village of Navolok. After that, the territory of the monastery gradually fell into disrepair.
Renaissance began at the end of the 19th century. Starting from 1880, his fate is closely connected with the activities of the merchant Mamontov, who becomes the monastery's trustee.
He is trying to get the parish back under the vaults of the Assumption Cathedral - the only stone building among the desert swamps. And already starting to break down without proper care.
An Orthodox women's community arose and began to operate on the territory of the monastery.
After some time, the community was transformed into the convent "Assumption Rdeyskaya cenobitic hermitage".
In 1902, a new cathedral was rebuilt at the expense of the merchant A. N. Mamontov, since the old one was declared emergency by the conclusion of the invited commission.
The fate of the monastery in the post-revolutionary period is tragic. It lasted longer than others - until 1937. Separated from the world by impenetrable swamps, the monastery hoped that it would not be touched. But the commissars from the NKVD came here too. The last abbot of the monastery, Hieromonk Dimitrian, was arrested and shot in December 1937.
Today, the Rdeisky monastery in the Novgorod region is in a deplorable state. In a buidingAssumption Cathedral in many places there is no roof, the foundation and masonry grow with shrubs and gradually collapse.
Measures have now been taken for its conservation and further restoration. The fate of the temple is taken care of by public organizations and charitable foundations. The monastery needs help and restoration. You can find it on the map:
Iversky Monastery
Founded in the 17th century. during the reign of Alexei Mikhailovich. The direct initiator of the construction of the monastery and its further dispensation was Patriarch Nikon.
According to legend, it all started with the trip of Nikon, then hegumen of the Kozheozersky monastery, to the Solovetsky monastery in order to transfer the relics of Patriarch Philip to Moscow.
On the way back, when he sailed through the calm waters amid the silence of the surrounding nature of Valdai, he got the idea to found a monastery in these places. Dozing off, in a dream he saw St. Philip, who blessed him to establish a monastic monastery in Valdai.
After arriving in Moscow, Nikon received the rank of Patriarch a month later and immediately set about implementing his plan.
He decided to build a monastery on one of the islands of the Valdai Lake in the likeness of the Iberian Monastery on Athos. This is how the Valdai Iversky Svyatoozersky Monastery arose.
The most experienced architects and carpenters were specially summoned from Moscow. Due to the special location of Tsar Alexei, which Nikon enjoyed, the monastery was given a special status, equaling it with the ancient monasteries.
In possessionthe monastery, and Lake Valdai, and the village, along with nearby villages and peasants, departed.
In the future, the monastery began to spread printing and literacy, acquired a rich library. It has its own printing house. All the monasteries of the Novgorod region are distinguished by educational activities. This is the legacy of Yaroslav the Wise.
After the revolution, the fate of the monastery was more prosperous than many others. He avoided ruin, they placed an archive in it. During the war it was a hospital. The Iversky Monastery of the Novgorod Region resumed its service.
Now services are held in the monastery from 7 to 9 in the morning and from 18 to 20 on weekdays; 9 am to 12 pm and 6 pm to 9 pm on Sundays and holidays.
Conclusion
The Russian land keeps a lot of spiritual treasures, in contact with which, one cannot but think about the meaning of one's life, and about the unity of everything living on earth.
Russian history is rich in examples of self-sacrifice and service. The monasteries of the Novgorod region are not just beautiful architectural monuments. For a Russian person, they have always been the basis of faith and perseverance.
