In the heart of Russia on the territory of the Shatsky district of the Ryazan region, there is the village of Vysha, named after the river of the same name, on the banks of which its houses are stretched. He owes his fame to the nearby Holy Assumption Vyshensky Nunnery, the history of which is connected with the name of the outstanding religious figure of the 19th century - Bishop Feofan (Govorov) Recluse. Let us dwell briefly on the main events of his past and present.
Vague echoes of the past
There is no exact data on when and by whom the Assumption Vyshensky convent, which is now operating on the territory of the Shatsky District, was founded. Nevertheless, on the basis of legends that have come down to us, as well as some information gleaned from the book of Hegumen Tikhon (Tsiplyakovsky), published in 1881, there is reason to believe that this happened during the time of Ivan the Terrible, that is, no later than the 16th century. The very first written mention of him, dating back to 1625, is contained in a letter drawn up by the sovereign Mikhail Fedorovich's mother, the nun Martha.
It appears from the document that, by her order (obviously, the sovereign’s mother had the proper powers), the man’s monastery, located eight miles upstream from the current Vyshensky Assumption Monastery, was moved to a new place, which was located at the confluence of its navigable inflow - Values.
Since that time, the history of the monastery has been fully reflected in the preserved archival documents. The names of the abbots are known at which the most ambitious construction works were carried out. These are hieromonk - Tikhon, who led the fraternity from 1625 to 1661, and his successor Gerasim, who held a pastoral staff in his hands for the next 59 years. The names of other ministers did not reach us.
A series of troubles and hardships
In the history of the Vyshensky Assumption Monastery, which remained masculine until now, there have been periods of prosperity and decline. So in the second quarter of the XVIII century, the number of his brethren was so reduced, and the economy became so scanty that by the decision of the Holy Synod it was abolished as an independent unit and attributed to St. Nicholas Monastery located twenty versts from it. The documents did not say what caused such a disastrous situation. Nevertheless, in the following decades the monastic ministry continued in it.
A severe blow was dealt to the Vyshensky Assumption Monastery during the period of the senseless and merciless Pugachevsky revolt (1773 - 1775). Then the crowds of the distraught “God-bearing people” (the expression of L. N. Tolstoy), bursting into the monastery, looted the temple and stole everything that could be carried away. Fortunately, the monks were not touched, but condemned to starvation and deprivation, finally undermining the already dilapidated economy.
Testimony of Hieromonk Leonty
Only by the end of the century, life in the monastery gradually improved, as evidenced by the inventory of property compiled in 1798 by Hieromonk Leonty. In it, in addition to a detailed list of everything that the brethren owned, there is a record that the monastery, which was previously ascribed, finally gained independence, although it remained contingent, that is, not receiving material support from the state.
Nevertheless, the compiler of the document indicates that it had a stone Assumption Church, next to which stood a bell-covered tesar, and the whole territory was fenced with a solid wooden fence. The household of the brethren remained small: it consisted of hay mowing and a beekeeper. Hieromonk Leonty also gives a detailed list of all the monks, indicating the time of their arrival in the monastery.
Time for good change
The next XIX century was the most fertile period in the life of the Vyshensky Assumption Monastery, which reached its peak in the second half of its life. This was largely facilitated by the transfer of the monastery to the jurisdiction of the Tambov diocese, then led by an outstanding religious figure of his era - Archbishop Feofil (Raev). Thanks to his care, the brethren got the opportunity to rebuild dilapidated and deteriorated premises, as well as to carry out major repairs where possible.
The high-ranking monks did not remain without a wise shepherd, who, by order of Archbishop Feofil, was hieromonk Tikhon transferred to them from the Sarov monastery. Having received the abbot’s wand, he carried pastoral works for 44 years, directing the brethren to the path of spiritual perfection and austerity, which included the strictest self-restrictions aimed at freeing the mind from the constraints of the world of vanity.
Under the supervision of Hegumen Tikhon
The reign in the Holy Dormition Vyshensky Monastery of Hegumen Tikhon (Tsiplyakovsky), which lasted from 1800 to 1844, was marked by the erection of a new church with a four-tier bell tower, consecrated in honor of the Holy Trinity, and a brick building that housed fraternal cells.
Under him, the entire monastery territory was surrounded by a stone fence with towers. In addition, an important milestone in the life of the monastery was the transfer to it of the miraculous Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, received in 1827 by the will of the deceased noblewoman M. I. Adenkova, who at the end of her life received monastic tonsure with the name of Miropia. Pilgrims from all over Russia reached this image, known for its many healings, providing an influx of funds that abundantly replenish the monastery budget.
The Light of Russian Theology
But the main factor that significantly increased the status of the Vyshensky Assumption Monastery was the presence in it from 1866 to 1894 of an outstanding Russian theologian, ascetic and preacher - Bishop Feofan (Govorov), glorified by the Russian Orthodox Church in the guise of saints and entered the history of Russian Orthodoxy with the title of Hermit .
Having secluded himself from the world within the walls of the monastery, he devoted many years to writing religious works that occupied a worthy place in the patristic literary heritage. His most famous work was a collection of spiritual and moral instructions, consisting of 365 chapters and designed for daily reading throughout the year.
Blood shed in the village of Vysha
In the XX century, the Vyshensky Assumption Monastery fell on the troubles that became the destiny of the entire Russian Orthodox Church, but in this case the actions of the Bolsheviks turned into an event that went beyond even that cruel and merciless reality. The recollections of eyewitnesses have been preserved, telling how in the early 20s the village of Vysha was affected by an epidemic of the Spanish woman (a type of flu). Having no other means of resisting the disease, the residents staged a procession, at the head of which the monks carried the miraculous icon of the Virgin.
Urgently arrived Chekists arrested priests, dispersed the pilgrims, and took the holy image with them, having previously committed public mockery over it. Submissive until then, the villagers this time rebelled and popularly moved to the building of the Cheka to rescue the shrine, but were met by machine-gun fire. That day many civilians died, the memory of which was carefully hidden for many years and only in the period of perestroika became public. Details of this bloody event can be found in the book of S. P. Melchuganov, "Red Terror in Russia."
A cloister turned into a house of sorrow
Despite the fact that shortly after the events described, the monastery was closed, and its inhabitants were expelled, until the mid-30s, services continued in the church of the Nativity of Christ belonging to him. However, in 1936, this last center of Orthodoxy was closed, and the whole territory was transferred to the disposal of various economic organizations. There was a lumber yard, then a pig farm, which gave way to a children's town, and since 1938, the former churches and cells of the monks were transferred to a local psychiatric hospital. It was her medical staff and patients for several decades who remained the only inhabitants of the desecrated shrine.
The condition of the monastery today
The blessed winds of perestroika that sighed in the early 90s have largely changed the attitude of the authorities towards religious issues and created favorable conditions for the transfer of illegally taken property from believers. Among the real estate returned to the Church was the Vyshensky Assumption Monastery. A photo of the work that began immediately after completing the appropriate documents is shown below. It allows us to imagine how large the volume of the reconstruction was.
Significant assistance in its implementation was provided by the fact that back in 1988 the canonization of St. Theophanes (Govorov) the Hermit was mentioned, which was mentioned above. This attracted general attention to the monastery and contributed to the influx of necessary funds. Upon completion of all repair work by the decision of the Holy Synod, the revived shrine was transferred to the nuns. Thus, the male monastery, which had been operating for several centuries and was abolished by the Bolsheviks, received a new life this time as the female Uspensky Vyshensky monastery.
At present, four churches operate on its territory: the Kazan and Christ Cathedral, the Epiphany House Church of St. Theophanes and the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. As in previous years, the main monastery shrine is the miraculous Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, to which the flow of pilgrims does not dry out. Address of the monastery: Ryazan region, Shatsky district, the village of Vysha, st. Zarechnaya, d.20.