Any historian who specializes in the period of our history connected with Kiev knows very well how important faith was to the people of that time, how significant its contribution to the general culture and formation of the state was. Therefore, for any historian engaged in this, it is important to know the history of the first monastery in Russia. Where did he appear, how was it built, and why is it so important? Let's try to figure it out together.
Why is this worth attention?
The monastery is an extremely important part of the historical heritage, cultural wealth of our people. In any ancient village you can see magnificent and ancient buildings, raising their magnificent golden domes to heaven. Cathedrals and temples impress tourists from neighboring towns and other countries. No less impressive are the monasteries. In total, our Church unites 804 monasteries - such a number involuntarily makes one admire. The peculiarity of the monastery is the atmosphere prevailing inside. The word appeared in ancient times and comes from the foreign term “one”, which symbolizes the opportunity to be alone with oneself, one's faith and one’s thoughts - for the sake of this monasteries were created in ancient times.
One of the oldest Slavic cities is Novgorod. He was extremely important both in the framework of the formation of power, statehood, and for the culture, creativity and religion of his time. Here is the Yuriev Monastery. Historians almost unanimously declare that it is this building - the first monastery in Russia. A photo of its magnificent walls, interior decoration can be seen in specialized directories and all city guides. The monastery is really famous, from year to year both pilgrims and curious citizens from all over the world come here.
And if in more detail?
One of the first monasteries in Russia was founded on the banks of the majestic Volkhov River. The initiative to erect a building dedicated to religious culture here, as is known from historical annals, belongs to Yaroslav the Wise. Initially, a small church made of natural wood was erected, and after a while the structure grew, and its purpose changed somewhat - and the Yuryev Monastery appeared. In ancient times, any monastery was not just a place of worship of the gods, but also a fortress that protected ordinary people during the invasion of the enemy. The siege of the walls of this monastery took a lot of time, very often ended in nothing. It so happened that the monasteries were the first to take the enemy’s blow in the next military conflict.
At the same time as the protective function, educational was significant. It is known that the first monastery in Russia was founded on the banks of Volkhov, not only with the aim of protecting ordinary people. In those days, it was a key educational center. Ancient books were kept in the monastery walls, people were trained here. Traditionally, workshops worked in the monastery. If the life of the common people became especially difficult, ministers shared with those in need food and clothing. Anyone who was in great need could count on the assistance of the holy people.
What happened next?
Along with the cessation of the existence of the Russian Empire in Slavic lands, there is no longer support for religion. The Soviet authorities began a program of redesigning and changing the functionality of buildings. Many objects went bankrupt and closed, since then they have been abandoned for a long time or remain so to this day. Some opened clubs and cafes. In recent years, monasteries are actively reviving. New religious institutions are opening up.
About Yuryev Monastery more
This religious building is approximately 4 km from the modern center of Veliky Novgorod. A unique structure was erected on the banks of Volkhov. This monastery is revered as one of the oldest Orthodox monuments in all Slavic lands. The monastery was given a name in memory of who ordered it to be founded: when Yaroslav the Wise was baptized, it was called Yuri. About when the first monasteries appeared in Russia, tell the surviving chronicles. From them it can be concluded that in 1119, on the basis of a previously wooden church, they began to build a cathedral from stone, which was given the name Georgievsky. Then the monastery becomes the spiritual center of the republic. After some time, he turns into the largest and most powerful site in the possession of the church.
Secularization, organized by Catherine in the 18th century, caused decline. Documents telling when the first monasteries appeared in Russia, what fate awaited them later, give an idea of the vicissitudes that fell on the lot of the religious institution. It is known that a century after the reforms in Catherine began the restoration of a unique structure. This caused the loss of innumerable wealth - the oldest frescoes. Only a few have survived to this day.
Yuriev Monastery: the twists and turns of fate
It is known that the first monastery in Russia was founded near the shores of the Magus. Despite the many complex twists of fate, this object exists today. Today, this monastery invites only believing men. At the same time, it is a historical, architectural monument, giving an idea to a modern person about how they lived and worked in the period of Ancient Russia. The diocese of Veliky Novgorod is in charge of the monastery. The structure of the object has an archimandrite corps. A religious school is open here.
The first monastery in ancient Russia was built around St. George's Cathedral. This element is not the only important part of the architectural ensemble. On the monastery lands there are two more cathedrals: Spassky, Holy Cross Exaltation. One church is open and operates, named after the Burning Cupids. All four places are used to send services. During the war, the church of the Archangel Michael was destroyed. Restoration work, which started some time ago, is already fully completed. One of the local attractions is the bell tower, whose height reaches 52 meters. There is a legend that tells that initially the object was planned to be built higher. Changes to the plan were made under the pressure of Nicholas the First. It is believed that he wished that the Moscow bell tower of Ivan the Great remained dominant. I had to remove the middle tier from the project in order to reduce the height of the building.
Monasteries: which are still famous?
Among the first Orthodox monasteries in Russia is Novospassky. It is located behind Taganka. The building was built during the reign of Ivan the First. From the annals it is known that the foundation fell on the year 1490.
No less famous monastery is called Borisoglebsky. It was founded at a time when Dmitry Donskoy was in power. Among the common people, the Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius is extremely popular. It is assumed that for some time this monastery was the largest in the country. Lavra is extremely important as an element of the formation of Christianity in the Slavic lands. However, do not underestimate the importance for the history of the Pskov-Pechersk religious institution. It was created specifically for men. The year of foundation, known from the annals, is the 1473rd. A distinctive feature is the strong walls that protected the monastery, and the presence of towers, loopholes, which gave the inhabitants of the holy building the opportunity to defend their independence in the face of even a very powerful enemy.
Knows the whole country
Turning to the period of foundation of the first monasteries in Russia, it is worth mentioning the fundamentally important buildings in Suzdal. And today they are revered as incredible wealth, an exceptionally significant cultural heritage. As some historians say, the one erected in Murom can compete with the Yuriev Monastery for the right to be considered the oldest - it is called the Transfiguration of the Savior. This monastery was created specifically for men. Even if it is not the oldest, it definitely belongs to the list of the oldest, most important, significant for culture, history and religion. A distinctive feature is the large variety of icons with atypical plots that have been preserved since ancient times. To see these beautiful icons, people come to Murom from all over the planet.
Monastic History
The first monasteries of Kievan Rus began to be built after 988, that is, after the official moment when the country adopted the Christian faith as a state. According to historians, in those days people lived frankly poorly, life was extremely difficult, so everyone tried to find some kind of consolation for themselves, the path to a simpler existence. For the needs of just such tired, desperate, lost people, the first monasteries appeared. They were created so that people can hope and count on comfort. Everyone could come here. It did not matter to which class the person belonged, what he was. If someone wanted to turn to God, he was allowed into the monastery. It is known that many princes of that time went to monasteries by the end of their lives. This practice was common among the boyars. Of the legends, almost any of our compatriots knows about Ilya Muromets. This is a hero who had no equal. Few people know that the real person from whose life a legend appeared, ended his life in the Pechersky monastery, where he tonsured monks.
In short, the first monasteries in Russia appeared by the grace of those in possession. In those days, these institutions were called clerical. Everyone who had sufficient funds could initiate the construction of the monastery. That is how the first Kiev religious institutions appeared. The princes founded them, the boyars made their contribution.
New times and new places
After some time after the appearance of the first monastery in Russia, the Christian religion takes on a much more powerful than before basis. Religion extends beyond Kiev. It is accepted in different parts of Ancient Russia. Institutions are absolutely dependent on who allocates money for them. Information from several rather extensive institutions has survived from the annals. For example, the first large monastery in Russia, as it is believed, is Kiev-Pechora. In addition to him, in Kiev in the 12th century there were another 14 fairly large monasteries. Another 26 were in Novgorod, four in Pskov, three in Chernigov. Chronicles report 14 monasteries that existed in the 12th century in the Vladimir-Suzdal principality. In those days, faith in God was extremely strong. A huge number of cases are known when the prince did not go to war until he received the blessing of the holy father. For this reason, Western peoples began to call Holy Russia, because every city had monasteries, had a temple or several.
Kiev-Pechersk Lavra
According to some historians, it is she who is the first monastery in Russia. It is believed to be founded in 1051. If you compare this date with the above for a building near Volkhov, you will notice that the event happened earlier. The controversy over the primacy of old age, however, is due to the fact that so far scientists have doubts about the date of construction of the wooden church, which later became the base for the monastery near Novgorod. The initiator of the foundation of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra was Yaroslav the Wise. It is believed that a unique religious place, significant for pilgrims to this day, began with a small cave in Berestov - a village that the Kiev princes chose for their summer stay. Hilarion dug up the cave so that you could pray in private. In the future, this holy father will receive the status of Metropolitan. The same cave became the habitat of Anthony, the first Russian hermit.
In ancient Russian, caves were called pechery. It was from here that the name of one of the first monasteries in Russia went. At first, churches, cells - all this was organized in caves. However, already in the 11th century it was possible to put an elevated building. It was first built from wood, after some time it was rebuilt from stone. So the Assumption Temple appeared. Today it attracts connoisseurs of history, art, cultural heritage, as well as pilgrims from all over the world - it has preserved a huge collection of frescoes, mosaics made in ancient times.
Development and growth
Gradually, the first monastery in Russia is growing, expanding. Caves gradually change their purpose - they become places of rest, relics. To visit here, pilgrims come from all over the world. Most of all, the monastery is revered by Theodosius of Pechora, Anthony. Enemy raids over and over again lead to ruin, but in the 12th century it was decided to protect the building with powerful walls so that holy people could hold the defenses. In 1240, Batu, however, besieged and defeated the city, took control of the monastery. Soon, life is recovering again. In 1598 the monastery received the status of a laurel, and from the end of this century and at the beginning of the next, it is the center of the conflict of Orthodox Catholic clergy. Ultimately, it is the Orthodox who preserve their laurels.
The modern look of the magnificent monastery is the result of large-scale construction work that began at the end of the 17th century and ended only in the first half of the next. However, the work did not stop for a long time - many times the laurel was completed, mainly adhering to the style of classicism.
Yanchin Monastery
About what was the first convent in Russia, few know. It so happened that the topic of female monasticism, in principle, does not attract too much public attention. The information that has reached our days suggests: the very first monastery created for women was the Yanchin erected in Kiev, which was also called Andreevsky-Yanchin. He was placed in honor of the sister of Vladimir Monomakh, nicknamed Yanka in the home circle. Anna Vsevolodovna entered the history of Orthodoxy as a prominent figure who promoted religion in the territory of Russia. She was a link to Constantinople, an activist who urged his contemporaries to be more humble, pious. And today, historians know that the nun was very active. Was she going to become a nun right away? Historians believe that there were no such intentions. Anna was engaged to a distant prince, who was forced to leave for the monastery in his own country. The faithful bride, without wasting time, followed his path. She was not obliged to do so, but in many ways her act changed the fate of Orthodoxy in Russia - a monastery was opened by the Yankees, and later a women's school was opened.
Life turned out so that Anna Vsevolodovna had to go to Constantinople more than once. She brought new customs and customs from there to her native lands, studied charters and manuscripts, acquired important materials that later would help her in the holy work in her native lands. Once again, having arrived home, the princess appeals to her father with a request to establish a convent. Brother supports a young girl. In 1086, the decision was made: Vsevolod commanded to put up a church named after Andrey, at which a monastery was created. The post of abbess is held by the princely daughter. She decides to keep her home nickname in the annals; the monastery itself was nicknamed Yanchin. He was incredibly beautiful. Contemporaries described it as amazing and magnificent. To date, it has not survived - a fire engulfed the building in the days of Batu.
Already in the first year of the new monastery, Princess makes a set of girls to study at the school at the monastery. Girls are taught needlework, given them the skills of writing and singing. They also teach sewing skills and various crafts. In a word, the emphasis is on girls acquiring the most useful skills.