The village of Vyshny Volochek was founded in 1471. This was facilitated by its geographical position. It stood on the trade route from the Neva basin, across Lake Ilmen, to the Volga basin.
The Nikolo-Stolpensky Monastery was founded in the 16th century, and the Kazan Convent in Vyshny Volochek at the end of the 19th century.
Today Vyshny Volochek is a city in the Tver region, which is the administrative center of the Vyshnevolotsky district.
History of the Kazan Monastery (Vyshny Volochek)
According to legend, at the end of the 16th century, local merchants brought an icon of the Kazan Mother of God to Vyshny Volochek. As a result of a fire, the icon was lost, but many years later it was unexpectedly found in a remote place, in a forest on a stump. A chapel was built on the site of her miraculous discovery.
In 1870, the marshal of the nobility, Prince A. S. Putyatin, collected money from benefactors to purchase land adjacent to the chapel in order to establish a women's Orthodox community on this site. The community was created, and on October 20, 1872,decision of the Synod on its approval.
In 1877, the Andronikov Icon of the Mother of God was delivered to the community from the St. Petersburg Trinity Cathedral. It was named after the emperor Andronicus III, to whom it originally belonged. Later, in 1901, in honor of this icon, at the expense of John of Kronstadt, the Bogolyubsky (Andronnikovsky) Cathedral (1897-1901) was erected on the territory of the monastery. The Andronikov icon is made in the ancient Greek style, the Mother of God is depicted shoulder-length (up to the shoulders) and without a baby. Unfortunately, this icon was stolen from the city's Epiphany Cathedral in 1984, and its whereabouts are still unknown.
After 9 years, there were more than 260 sisters in the community. 13 buildings were built: cells, a hospital, an icon painting school, workshops for the production of carpets and shoes.
November 20, 1881, by decree of the Holy Synod, Mother Superior Dosifei S altykova was elevated to the rank of abbess, and the community was transformed into a monastery.
The chapel, on the site of which the image of the Kazan Mother of God was found, was rebuilt into a church, later a bell tower and the Church of St. Ephraim the Syrian and Neonila were built in its place.
There are 2 cathedrals on the territory of the monastery: Kazansky and Andronnikovsky, as well as the Nadkladeznaya chapel and the Hospital monastic building with the House Church.
Kazan Cathedral of the Monastery
Built in 1877-1882 according to the design of A. S. Kaminsky.
The cathedral is distinguished by complex architecture and is considered one of the most beautiful buildings for religious purposes,built in the XIX century, and is the decoration of the Kazan Monastery.
Vyshny Volochek attracts pilgrims with holy places, as well as the beauty and magnificence of cathedrals.
Andronnikovsky Cathedral
Built in 1897-1901. The building of the cathedral is located in the depths of the monastery, to the right of the Kazan Cathedral. The building of the cathedral is made in the Byzantine "Ton" style, like all church architecture of the late XIX century. The temple is tall and spacious: 18 meters high, 47 meters long and 34 meters wide.
The main altar was consecrated in the name of the Andronikov Icon. The left one is in honor of St. Gregory and the Great Martyr Dmitry of Thessalonica, St. Innocent and St. John of Rylsky. The right one is in honor of All Saints. The iconostasis of the main aisle is carved and gilded.
The monastery after the revolution
After 1917, thousands of churches were closed and looted. The Vyshnevolotsky Kazan Monastery did not escape this fate either. Vyshny Volochek, like hundreds of other Russian towns and villages, lost its shrines. In 1922, a military unit was located on its territory, and then the monastery buildings and temples began to be used as storage facilities. In the autumn of 1941, the monastery was in the front line, but was not damaged. In November, the distance from the front line to Vyshny Volochyok was about 100 kilometers.
In 1991, the Kazan Monastery of Vyshny Volochok was returnedchurch.
Restoration of the monastery
After the opening of the monastery, cathedrals and other buildings needed repairs, both external and internal. There was no heating in the buildings, it was necessary to start plumbing work, change pipes, sewers. The interior decoration was in need of restoration. The territory of the monastery was unkempt, overgrown with grass. The monastery needed money and workers.
During the years of Soviet power, the bell tower suffered the most, in which the Temple in honor of Ephraim the Syrian was built. They not only removed the bells from it, they began to use it as a water tower.
Water flowed down the walls for many years and caused great damage to the building. The building gradually collapsed and fell into disrepair. An inscription was even made on the wall of the bell tower, forbidding to approach the building closer than 10 meters. Now the situation has improved: through the efforts of novices and laity, the monastery is gradually regaining its original appearance.
In December 2016, by decree of the Metropolitan of Tver, Vladyka Victor, nun Feofilakta became abbess. She is strict and diligent, and she already has experience in restoring hermitages.
Holy places and icon worship
In 1999, a chapel was erected at the burial site of Elder Lyubushka. Schematic nun Maria Matukasova was also buried next to Lyubushka in 2000.
Under the porch of the temple of Andronnikovsky Cathedral there is a tomb in which she found her last shelterfounder of the monastery Dosifey. The nuns Macarius and Pelageya are also buried there.
The main shrine of the city - the Icon of the Kazan Mother of God - is exhibited in the Epiphany Cathedral, 2 kilometers from the Kazan Monastery.
Monasteries in Vyshny Volochek: Monastery of Our Lady of Kazan and Nikolo-Stolpensky (located in the village of Bely Omut).
How to get to the monastery?
Address where you can find the Kazan Convent: Vyshny Volochek, st. Siversova.
This address is listed on the official website, there are also phone numbers where you can call for more information.
In Vyshny Volochek, the Monastery of Our Lady of Kazan is easy to find. The distance from the city center to the monastery is only 2 kilometers.
Monastery and service opening hours
Services in the monastery are performed daily, you can order a commemoration through the official website.
Laity access is allowed only on public holidays. On weekdays, the skete charter operates on the territory of the monastery.
The monastery is open to pilgrims and tourist groups. You can order a tour on the official website of the monastery.
To visit the monastery as a pilgrim, you need to receive a blessing and be sure to warn by phone about your intention to come. Pilgrims can stay in the monastery from one to three days.
