The history of Pafnutiev Borovsky Monastery, as well as the fate of its founder, reflect amazing events. They are mentioned in the annals of the Russian land. The House of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos and the great wonderworker Paphnutius is considered a monument to sovereign glory and a spiritual shrine.
The initial stage of spiritual development of the founder of the monastery
The Borovsky Monastery is named after the Monk Paphnutius, who was born in the village of Kudinovo (about 4 kilometers from the city of Borovsk) in a family distinguished by piety. At the time of baptism, the miracle worker received the name Parthenius. He had a grandfather, who, according to ancient legends, was a Tatar Baskak who accepted the Orthodox faith. When Parthenius was twenty years old, he entered the Vysoko-Pokrovsky Borovsk Monastery, where he was tonsured and named after him - Paphnutius. The abbot, noting the young man’s heartfelt desire, appointed him a mentor - the old man Nikita, who for nineteen years was the administrator of the Vysotsky Serpukhov Monastery and went to school with the Monk Sergius of Radonezh.
Life of the saint
After twenty years of high spiritual life, Paphnutius spiritually grew to the level of a "teaching husband." Metropolitan Photius, who oversaw all Orthodox monasteries in Russia, honored him with becoming the abbot of the monastery. In 1444, the monk left the monastery of Pokrovsky at the behest of God. He settled not far, in a desert place where the Isterma River flows into Protva, three miles from Borovsk. Soon, a cloister was also established there. Later, the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin, built at the behest of Metropolitan Jonah, was added to it.
Paphnutius' voluntary renunciation of worldly life was not extremely harsh, but he strictly observed all church deaneries, rules, and statutes. Being the guardian of canons, he did not recognize Metropolitan Jonah, since he was elected, but not approved by the Patriarch of Constantinople, who stood above all the monasteries in Russia.
The Holy Acts of Paphnutius
The date of foundation of the Borovsky monastery is considered to be 1444. Paphnutius called him the house of the pure Mother of God. In the chosen field, the saint carried out his activity for more than thirty years. He consecrated the monastery with his prayers and work, gathered a brotherhood in it and educated everyone in obedience and fear of God.
After Paphnutius received from the Lord a notice of his imminent demise, he spent the rest of his time in unceasing prayers and fasting, instructing the disciples. The monk placed his hope in his own soul and in the monastery entrusted to him on God and his Blessed Mother. He lived, pleasing the Lord with the life of an ascetic, 82 years old. During this time, Paphnutius gathered a brotherhood of ninety-five people.
The veneration of the saint during life
Rev. Paphnutius was severe in relation to the laity. From the boyars and princes, he refused to accept gifts and letters. Despite the fact that at that time Orthodox monasteries opened in considerable numbers, it was the monastery of Paphnutia that was very famous. He was especially revered by some great princes, which elevated the reverend to the rank of a family saint. Ivan the Terrible himself was allegedly born thanks to the prayers of the elder Paphnutius. The Tsar ranked his name among the great saints whom all the monasteries of Moscow guarded (they also included Cyril Belozersky and Sergius of Radonezh).
For 18 years, Iosif Volotsky underwent training in the teaching of ionic education at the Monk Paphnutius. Subsequently, he became a great church figure. Joseph led the Borovsky Monastery after the repose of Paphnutius in 1477.
The novices and supporters of the great saint
Paphnutia's haircuts include:
1. Joseph Vassian Sanin, who became the author of the description of the life of the saint.
2. Rev. David, who founded the Ascension Desert.
3. The godfather of Ivan the Terrible.
4. Rev. Daniel, who founded the Trinity Monastery on the territory of Pereyaslavl-Zalessky.
Paphnutius approved the unification under the rule of Moscow specific principalities, so he was supported by the heads of the feudal monarchy. In 1467, the Borovsky Monastery was also replenished with a stone cathedral named after the Nativity of the Virgin. He was invited to design by the famous icon painter Mitrofaniy at that time. The great thinker and artist had a great influence on the formation of a special craft tradition in the monastery. Among those who were deeply imbued with it was St. Macarius. He is also the steward of the elder Paphnutius. Later, Macarius led the Russian Orthodox Church (from 1542 to 1563).
Honoring Paphnutius after death
The old man of the Borovsky monastery put his soul into God's hands on May 1 (according to the old calendar style) in 1477, in the evening, an hour before sunset.
The Lord created many miracles through his saint, leaving the following generations an example of a life that is pleasing to Him. The holy memory of Paphnutia has been preserved to this day. By God's will, his abode was repeatedly preserved from ruin. At present, the Lord also reveals the saint as a prayer book and a representative for all people who come to Him with love and faith.
The beginning of the great history of the monastery
In the sixteenth century, Pafnutiev (Borovsky) monastery became one of the richest and most famous in Russia. It was there that in 1513, in the summer, before moving forward in the direction of Smolensk, the main forces of the sovereign army, headed by Vasily the Third, stopped. The monasteries of the Kaluga region at that time were not sufficiently protected from the invasion of attacking opponents. But that changed soon enough. Already in the second half of the sixteenth century, the Borovsky Monastery was surrounded by stone walls and equipped with towers. He occupied an advantageous strategic position on the southwestern approaches to Moscow. Walls and towers suffered significantly during the Great Troubles, but were restored in the seventeenth century by the native of Kashin, Shaturin Trofim, who was a hereditary mason and a true master of his craft.
Monastery architecture
At the monastery in 1511 a church was erected in the name of the Nativity of Christ. Also, a magnificent refectory chamber was built in it. At the end of the same century, the Cathedral Church was rebuilt. He became one of the most perfect at that time. The five-domed, having four pillars, Borovsky Monastery had such an architecture in which the characteristic features of the Archangel Cathedral, which is part of the Moscow Kremlin, were clearly traced. In 1651 it was painted with frescoes, and in 1651 the northern chapel was built in the name of the Holy Great Martyr Irina. The composition of the architecture of the cathedral itself was violated in the nineteenth century by altering the domes and creating a narthex.
Great loss
When False Dmitry the Second came to Borovsk in July 1610, popularly called the Tushinsky thief, his troops did not have enough strength and the ability to take the fortress-monastery. This happened only when the traitor governors themselves opened the gate. In the monastery there was an unequal battle. By the force of thousands of troops, all the local residents who took refuge in the monastery and the brethren were exterminated. Prince Volkonsky Mikhail, who led the defense, was killed in battle in the Cathedral Church. Archimandrite Nikon (rector of the monastery) and Joseph, who was the protector of the Trinity-Sergius Monastery, also died. The attacking soldiers stole all the wealth. At the same time, the letters and documents of the monastery burned in a fire. It was in honor of the memory of the feat of Prince Volkonsky and of this defense that Borovsk had its own coat of arms. It depicts a symbol of fidelity - a heart with a cross framed by a laurel wreath.
Heyday after mournful times
After the ruin of Pafnutiev, the monastery was not only restored, but also survived a heyday. It happened in the seventeenth century. At that time, the architectural ensemble of the monastery was formed, which has not changed much to the present. Its visitors in the 19th century noted that it is very well-groomed, it felt a special calm, silence and peace. In the 17-19 centuries, Pafnutiev (Borovsky) monastery was famous for its rare frescoes and icons, a rich library and a sacristy. In 1744, 11,000 peasants were assigned to the monastery. The names of prominent ascetics of that time have not reached our days. However, based on the spirit in the monastery and how its quiet life is established, one can understand how measuredly and quietly their lives flowed in the works of obedience and monastery services.
Prisoners
In the years 1666-1667, the notorious Archpriest Avvakum was kept in the prison of the Borovsky Monastery. Then he was exiled to the prison of the Netherstorm. Also in custody in the monastery prison, according to the decrees of the sovereign, was the noblewoman Morozova, who persisted in a split. In addition, her sister Urusova and the wife of the streletsky colonel Danilov were kept in prison. These victims of the propaganda of the schismatics in the autumn of 1675 died here from starvation.
Changes
After all the destruction, the monastery flourished. Three-time raids of Napoleon’s army in 1812 could not prevent this. Just as in 1610, they then looted the man’s monastery (you can see the photo of the monastery of Paphnutius in the article) and burned the library. But the biggest ruin was ahead. In 1932 the monastery was closed. A museum was located on its territory. Later, the monastery was turned into a forced labor colony. Then it was equipped for the school of mechanization, in which they taught agriculture. The monastery necropolis was demolished, and in its place in 1935 the school building was erected.
Nothing could prevent the revival of the monastery. And Saint Paphnutius contributed to this. On the night of May 13-14, 1954, on the day of the veneration of the saint, the central dome of the Nativity Cathedral collapsed. The equipment in the temple belonging to the school was crushed. Restoration work began in 1960.
Spirituality
The agricultural technical college was removed from the territory of the Borovsky Monastery in 1991. In the summer of that year, the first inhabitants began to come to it. The appointment of the abbot Nikon (in the world of Khudyakov) became symbolic. He was the spiritual son of Archimandrite Ambrose. That, in turn, was the last one to remain from the brethren of the monastery, which existed before its closure. Thus, spiritual succession was preserved. The Church of the Holy Prophet Elijah, which housed part of the relics of St. Paphnutius, was consecrated in 1991, on the thirteenth of April. It was brought by Metropolitan of Borovsky and Kaluga Clement from the Pskov-Pechersky Monastery, where she had been preserved before that.
In the summer of 1994, the cathedral finally began the long-awaited festive and solemn services. An iconostasis consisting of three tiers was built in it, and a chapel was built in honor of Pafnutius. The bells were hoisted in 1996.
The sacred magnetism of the monastery
In 1994, two anniversary dates crossed — five hundred and fifty years from the founding of the monastery and six hundred from the birthday of the Monk Paphnutius. On this occasion, the Borovsky Monastery was visited by Alexy II - the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia. He performed a procession and a solemn service.
The place of the ancient monastery, which was founded in the middle of the fifteenth century by Paphnutius Borovsky, is still picturesque and quiet. From the beginning of the monastery’s existence, it attracts, like a magnet, pilgrims from different parts of Russia and abroad (both near and far) who visit the monastery to relax from everyday burdens. They come to take a break from the pressing problems within the monastery walls, to throw off the burden of everyday worries from their shoulders, to enjoy the inner silence of a place prayed for centuries.
Divine services and pilgrimage
What is the Kaluga region famous for? Borovsky Monastery, which is located on its territory, is a place of pilgrimage for residents of nearby settlements, as well as other cities and countries. Even from Moscow they go there to bow to the relics of Paphnutius and defend the service ruled by Father Vlasius. The Borovsky Monastery publishes the schedule of its daily services in its own newspaper Vestnik, and even on the Internet on the official website. At the monastery there is a functioning Sunday school for children. Also in the monastery you can listen to lectures for adults, jointly watch films about the clergy and discuss them. In 2011, the monastery created the Orthodox squad of the Borovsk Territory, which promotes the unification of young people based on the ideals of serving society and neighbors.
Help gifted children and adolescents
In the summer, the monastery hosts groups of scout children and young artists who are trained at the Kaluga art school. They carry out practical exercises in the area. Over the past few years, a children's tent field patriotic-Orthodox camp called "Stratilat" has been organized in the monastery. Every year, more than forty people rest in it. Since 2011, the Pafnutevgrad rally has been held at the camp base three times, in which young Orthodox people took part.
Activities and Celebrations of the Holy Place
The Pafnutevsky monastery is actively engaged in printing activities. It publishes a magazine for children, the Ship, a newspaper for parents and teachers, Borovsky Enlightener, the weekly Vestnik and spiritual books. Throughout the year, pilgrims can make excursions to the monastery, where there are bookstores and icon shops, a library. In addition, the Borovsky Monastery is considered the largest organizer of district educational readings. This annual event for parishioners is aimed at developing morality and spiritual values among the population. During the great holidays, such as Memorial Day of St. Paphnutius and the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, tables are laid in the monastery in the refectory for all comers.
Kaluga region, a monastery. Father Blasius
Schiarchimandrite Vlasius (in the world of Peregontsev) was born on February 8, 1934. The family of the worshiper was a believer. His grandmother is a nun. From an early age she raised Blasius in piety and faith. This had to be hidden during the Soviet era. After school, Peregontsev entered the Smolensk Medical Institute. The future priest secretly went to prayers in the cathedral.
The information was conveyed to the rector of the institute, after which the persecution of a believing student began. This became unacceptable for Peregontsev, and as a result, he decided to leave his studies and leave for the Tambov region. There he met Father Hilarion (Rybar), from whom he received an offer to leave for the Transcarpathian region. Upon arrival at the monastery of St. Lavra and Flora, the former student changed his name. The reason for this decision was his announcement on the All-Union wanted list. A few years later, Father Vlasius was tonsured into the mantle of the eponymous saint of Sebaste.
The beginning of the spiritual path of Peregontsev
From 1991 to the present time, the elder Vlasiy Borovsky Monastery has been heading. But how did he achieve the rank of schiarchimandrite? Having become a spiritual person, the failed medic was in obedience to the cell-man of Father Hilarion. During the period of persecution of the Church, when Khrushchev was in power, the monastery was closed. Vlasiy was forced to return to Smolensk and recover documents. Representatives of the legal authorities suggested that he leave monasticism and continue his studies at the institute, but he refused. Blasius was honored by the reception of Archbishop Gideon, who took him to his cathedral. The future schiarchimandrite began his ministry by clearing the altar. He later became a psalmist, then regent, deacon, after a priest and a cell attendant. When Gideon was transferred to the diocese of Novosibirsk in 1972, father Vlasy went with him to Siberia. Later he was appointed to serve in the Tobolsk Pokrovsky Cathedral.
The last abode of the elder
When in 1991, the Metropolitan of Kaluga and Borovsky Clement blessed Vlasius for the patronage of the Pafnutiev monastery, more and more people began to visit him. All of them needed spiritual help. In 1998, father Vlasiy Borovsky monastery left and went to Mount Athos. Among the monks, he lived for five years. Then he returned to Pafnutiev Monastery, where he is to this day. Meetings with Father Blasius are sought after by thousands of parishioners from all over the world. Some come to the old man to get rid of incurable ailments, others - to get worldly advice for resolving important worldly affairs. Many find in his person spiritual support. For each parishioner, Blasius finds an intelligible simple answer.
Modern units
Not far from the walls of the monastery, in a pine park, on a hill there is a subsidiary farm. It is a full-fledged farm with living quarters for staff, a hayhouse, a farmyard with cows, horses, pigs, a house, fields and a pond.
On the ground floor of the refectory is a prosphora, as well as a bakery. They make bread, cookies, rolls, pies for the needs of the brethren and pilgrims. The bulk of the work is done manually. The technology for preparing dough for yeast without the addition of yeast, which was used in antiquity, has also been restored.