There are many sights in Rostov the Great. Visits are worthy of the Rostov Kremlin, Lake Nero, various museums. But the place where the emperors of Russia once prayed deserves special attention. This is the Spaso-Yakovlevsky Monastery. Once in these places there was a lonely monastery of St. Jacob. However, in the XVIII century one of the most beautiful monasteries of the country appeared here. What is it today and what shrines are stored in it? We invite you to a virtual tour of the Spaso-Yakovlevsky Monastery!
Middle Ages
This monastery appeared here in 1389. Its founder is St. James, Bishop of Rostov. When Jacob was expelled from the city by his flock for pardoning a criminal who was awaiting execution, he moved south of Rostov. He settled near the Church of the Archangel Michael, which was founded in the XI century. Next to the spring, Jacob built a small temple with his own hands, consecrated it in honor of the Conception of the Most Holy Theotokos. After a short time, a community of like-minded people formed near the church, a little later - a new monastery. Whenthe bishop died, they began to venerate him as a saint. Jacob's burial was guarded. And the general church glorification was performed in 1549 by the Makaryevsky Cathedral.
Initially, the Spaso-Yakovlevsky Monastery was called Zachatievsky or Iakovlevsky. From the very moment of its foundation (that is, from the 14th century) until the second half of the 17th century, all the buildings on the territory of this monastery were wooden. Of course, not a single one has survived to this day. The Trinity Cathedral was the first to be built from stone, and Zachatievsky Cathedral a little later. The latter, by the way, was erected on the site of the wooden church of the same name. Then it was not richly decorated, with only a hipped bell tower and three altar apses.
History of the Spaso-Yakovlevsky Monastery in the 18th century
For seven years - from 1702 to 1709 - the monastery was patronized by Metropolitan Dimitry of Rostov. He arrived in Rostov the Great on behalf of Peter I. He was solemnly welcomed in the monastery. The first thing Dimitri did here was to serve a thanksgiving service. There is a legend saying that on the same day the metropolitan indicated a place in the southwestern corner of the temple, where he asked to be buried in the future. Dimitry of Rostov was buried in 1709 in the Trinity Church. A tomb was built over the burial place of the metropolitan, on which the verses of Metropolitan Stefan of Ryazan, who was a close friend of the deceased, were applied. By the will of Demetrius, after his death, two icons of the Mother of God were brought to the monastery at once - Vatopedskaya and Bogolyubskaya.
In 1725, Bishop Georgy of Rostov ordered to attach to Troitskycathedral northern Zachatievsky aisle. Later, in the 19th century, the chapel was rebuilt into a separate cathedral. In 1754, the Trinity Cathedral was renamed Zachatievsky, and the chapel was named after Jacob of Rostov.
In September 1752, repairs began in the church. When the floor was opened, the relics of Demetrius of Rostov were discovered. Information has reached our days that neither the relics nor the clothes of the saint were touched by decay. Five and a half years later, Demetrius was canonized. This contributed to an increase in the number of pilgrims to the monastery, located on the shores of Lake Nero in Rostov the Great. In 1757, a guest house appeared near the western wall for those wishing to visit the monastery. And Metropolitan Arseniy Matseevich ordered the monastery steward to get a notebook in which all pilgrims could write down the stories of their miraculous healing at the tomb of St. Demetrius. The result was a huge handwritten book covering events from 1753 to 1764. There are almost 300 different stories recorded in this book. Today, this book is stored in the archives of the city museum.
From 1764 to 1888 the Spaso-Yakovlevsky Monastery was considered stauropegial - subordinate to the Holy Synod. In 1764, buildings that previously belonged to the Spaso-Pesotsky Monastery, which was abolished at that time, were also added to the monastery. A year later, the monastery received a new official name - Spaso-Jakovlevsky Conception Monastery.
In the 60s of the 18th century, a carved iconostasis was delivered to the cathedral, called Zachatievsky, and in 1780 icons were painted for this iconostasis. Their author was the famous Kharkov icon painter Vedersky. Anotherrenovation touched the wooden walls of the monastery. They were replaced with stone walls. Graceful towers and a high bell tower were erected above the gate. At the same time, two-story cells and a building of abbots appeared in the courtyard of the monastery.
In 1794, the construction of the Demetrius Cathedral began. Funds for this were allocated by Count N. P. Sheremetev. The temple was designed by the architect from Moscow Nazarov, architects Mironov and Dushkin. Sheremetev set a grandiose goal for the builders - this cathedral was to become a shelter for the relics of St. Demetrius of Rostov. According to the count, they should have been moved here. However, the clergy of the Yaroslavl diocese took into account the will of the saint himself, and the count was refused. Despite this, Sheremetev went down in history as the largest philanthropist. In addition to funds for the construction of the cathedral, he granted church utensils and vestments to the monastery. And after the death of Sheremetev in 1809, a golden miter with precious stones was delivered to the Spaso-Yakovlevsky Monastery, intended for the shrine with the relics of Demetrius of Rostov. By the way, in memory of this unique person, Dimitrievsky Cathedral is often called Sheremetevsky Cathedral even today.
What the monastery looked like in the 18th century
Descriptions of the monastery dating back to the middle of the 18th century have survived to this day. Then there was a chopped fence, in each wall of which there were gates. The main gate, decorated with paintings, was located on the east side. At the western wall were the chambers of the abbots. They were wooden, with a vestibule, four rooms and a light room. The mainThe gate housed a bakery and a kitchen, in the northeast corner there were cells, and in the southeast - a brewery and a cookery. On the eastern side there were outbuildings - two large stone cellars, a barn, a barn, a stable. And behind the eastern wall at that time there was a monastery courtyard with three huts. Behind the western one was a guest yard for pilgrims.
XIX – early 20th century
Built in 1754, the St. Jacob's Chapel of the Conception Cathedral was replaced by the Church of St. Jacob of Rostov. It happened in 1836. The funds were allocated by the philanthropist of the monastery, Countess A. A. Orlova-Chesmenskaya. The murals were then carried out by Timofey Medvedev. Unfortunately, they did not survive to this day.
An extremely important event happened in 1836. It was then that the Holy Synod granted the petition of the archimandrite and approved the new official name of the monastery - the monastery, located on the shores of Lake Nero in Rostov Veliky, began to be called the Spaso-Yakovlevsky Dimitriev Monastery.
Ekaterina II, Alexander I, Nicholas I, Alexander II and Nicholas II came to this monastery for pilgrimage. The monastery kept a huge number of manuscripts, books and historical documents. Some have come down to us. Thus, it is known from documents that in 1909 a tradition appeared in the monastery of transferring the relics of St. Demetrius of Rostov from the Church of the Conception to Dimitrievsky. Starting from May 25 until the end of October, the relics were in the Dimitri Cathedral, as Sheremetev once wanted. Every time the transfer of relicswas accompanied by a mass religious procession.
The beginning of the 20th century was marked by the consecration of new churches inside existing buildings. So, in 1909, a temple appeared in honor of the Tolga Icon of the Mother of God, in 1912, a cathedral in honor of the Resurrection of Christ was opened in the St. Jacob's Church.
Abolition of the monastery
In 1917 services in the monastery practically ceased. The only exception was the Yakovlevskaya Church - services did not stop here. However, already in 1923 the monastery was finally closed, and the monks were expelled. Apartments and workshops were placed in the premises. Part of the monastery property, which included books and manuscripts, was transferred to the Rostov Museum, but many items were simply looted. In the 80s of the last century, the iconostasis of the 18th century was dismantled in the Conception Church. Now visitors to the Spaso-Yakovlevsky Dimitriev Monastery can only see the skeleton of this iconostasis.
Revival of the monastery
This monastery was returned to the Russian Orthodox Church in mid-April 1991. And by the decision of the Holy Synod, dated May 7 of the same year, the Spaso-Yakovlevsky Monastery was opened. The monks returned here again, began to hold services.
Shrines
Those who want to visit the monastery are often worried about what shrines are now in the Spaso-Yakovlevsky Monastery. Currently, there are icons here: the cell of St. Demetrius of Rostov, the Vatopedi Mother of God. The relics of the Rostov saints Demetrius and Abraham are also kept in the monastery. By the way, even the monastery necropolis has survived to our time!
By the way, in 1996, a small wooden chapel was erected over the source located here. It was consecrated on December 10 in honor of St. James.
How the abode looks today
On the territory of the monastery today there are fraternal cells, the corps of abbots. The location of the temples provides a strict classical look - all three are lined up along the eastern wall in a clear line.
Conception Cathedral
The building of the cathedral, which visitors to the monastery can see today, was erected in 1686. It is made in an unusual patterned style. The vaults of the temple are supported by 4 pillars. The altar is separated by an impressive stone wall. In the 19th century, outbuildings appeared around the cathedral. Believers note that frescoes dating back to 1689 have been preserved inside the Conception Cathedral. These frescoes are done in soft blues, browns and yellows.
Dimitrievsky Cathedral
This temple was built to be cold. Only the chapels are heated here, in which services are held all year round. Believers note the fact that it is always very light in the Dimitrievsky Cathedral - the point is in the high side windows of the drum and the altar. In front of the entrance to the cathedral there is a refectory with two aisles dedicated to Nicholas the Wonderworker and Dmitry Thessalonica.
Initially, all the iconostases in the Dimitrievsky Cathedral of the temple were made of wood. But in the early 1860s, the main iconostasis of the temple was replaced with a marble one in the form of a triumphal arch.
The main decoration of the cathedral - wallpainting. Most of them were made by an artist from Rostov, Porfiry Ryabov. On the central dome, the artist depicted the Holy Trinity, on the walls of the cathedral - Sergius of Radonezh, Alexander Nevsky, Hilarion Ave. and the martyr Alexandra. On the walls of the refectory there are scenes from the life of Dimitry of Rostov.
Yakovlevsky Church
In 1836, on the site where the Jacob's aisle used to be, the church of St. Jacob of Rostov appeared. This church is attached to Zachatievsky literally close, they have a common porch. By the way, unlike the summer Dimitrievsky temple, Yakovlevsky is heated. The church was painted by Timofey Medvedev. Unfortunately, the murals have not survived to this day.
Belfry
In the second half of the 18th century, a three-tiered bell tower appeared on the territory of the Spaso-Yakovlevsky monastery. The number of bells changed in different centuries, so at the end of the 18th century there were four of them, and at the beginning of the 20th century their number increased to twenty-two. The weight of the largest bell was 12.5 tons!
The chapel above the well
For a long time there was a source on the territory of the monastery. For centuries, the locals considered it curative. Legends connect the source with the name of St. James. True, there is no documentary evidence of this connection. But a chapel was built here in honor of this saint.
The abbots of the monastery
It is worth noting that the names of the abbots who ruled the monastery after the death of St. James, unknown. In separate documents you can find only the names of two abbots - Joachim andPaul. Detailed information has been preserved only about the abbots who led the monastery from the first years of the 18th century.
Spaso-Yakovlevsky Monastery in Rostov: reviews
In the reviews, believers who visited this monastery note a special atmosphere of goodness and spirituality. The highlight of the monastery is considered to be architecture - with non-standard elements for domestic architecture. They also say that it is from here that truly excellent views of Lake Nero open. By the way, in front of the Spaso-Yakovlevsky Monastery there is a tent where you can buy monastic products.
By the way, in the monastery there is an opportunity to take an individual guide. For a moderate fee, you can learn a lot about the monastery and even listen to the church choir!
How to get to the monastery
The exact address of the Spaso-Yakovlevsky Monastery is the city of Rostov, Yaroslavl Region, Engels Street, 44. It is not difficult to get to the monastery. At the station, you need to take a fixed-route taxi number 3, which will take you directly to the monastery. Motorists need to drive along the E115 highway. In Rostov, you need to go to Kommunarov Street, then to Spartakovskaya Street, and then you should go to Moskovskaya Street, where there will be a sign.
Muscovites need to drive along the M-8 highway. Upon reaching Rostov, you need to take the Moskovskoye Highway, and then onto Dobrolyubova Street, which leads directly to the monastery.
