Not far from the place where her younger sister, the Sven River flows into the wide and deep Desna, rise on the banks of the wall of the monastery, which got its name from it and is known as the Holy Assumption Monastery for men. Founded in 1288, it is one of the most ancient and famous in Russia.
Ailment of a Pious Prince
A legend is connected with its foundation, which, as the inhabitants of the monastery assert, did not arise from scratch. She tells us that the pious prince of Chernigov and Debriansky, Mikhail Mikhailovich, who ruled these parts at the end of the 13th century, once suffered a serious ailment - he began to go blind, so much so that every day the white light faded in his eyes. There were no doctors at that time at the princely court, and God forbid to turn to healers and healers. - a baptized man. What can he count on? Only at the mercy of God.
So the prince sent the archimandrite of the local monastery to Kiev to bring him the miraculous icon of the Mother of God, through prayers before which healing has already been granted to the suffering. The word prince is a law, and the man of God set off on a journey, taking with him five monks humble in heart, but very strong in flesh - times were turbulent, and anything could happen on the way.
Miracle revealed on the river bank
The princely envoys had already sailed back along the Desna River and brought with them the treasured icon, when a certain misfortune happened to them - a boat that was so vigorously dissecting river streams, suddenly froze in place, stopped by an unknown force. No matter how hard the rowers tried, no matter how they leaned on the oars, they could not move either up or downstream. Nothing to do, somehow got to the shore and spent the night.
In the morning they grabbed - there is no icon, disappeared! They rushed to search, trying not to think about what kind of reward awaits them for such a service. But God is merciful - the loss was found. Found her among the branches of a mighty oak, standing at the bend of the river. Although the monks were timid, they did not dare to touch the image, but hastened to inform the prince about the miracle that had happened. He did not slow to appear and, falling to his knees, prayed for a long time. Then everything happened according to the laws of the genre - the prince received his sight and ordered to establish a monastery on this place, which has survived to this day and is known as the Svensky Monastery.
By the way, a curious detail - in the old days the Sven River, which gave the name to the monastery, was called Svin, and the monastery, respectively, was called Svinsky, which was very dissonant and gave rise to inappropriate witticisms. To correct the situation, in the XVII century it was decided to change only one letter in its name, but at the same time it was necessary to rename the whole river. Since then, the Sven River appeared on the maps, and with it the Svensky Monastery.
The creation of Reverend Alipius
The icon, so miraculously healed the prince, became the main shrine of the newly formed monastery. On a wooden board measuring 68x42 cm, the Most Holy Theotokos is sitting on a throne and holding in her arms the Eternal Infant, who raised his right hand in blessing. On both sides of the throne, the holy Pechersk miracle workers Theodosius and Anthony are depicted.
The authorship of the icon is attributed to the Monk Alipiy, who studied under the Byzantine craftsmen who worked in 1088 at the Kiev Pechersk Lavra. These details are known due to the fact that after the revolution the icon fell into the collection of the Tretyakov Gallery and has survived to this day.
The Holy Dormition Svensky Monastery, formed among the dense Bryansk forests, has become the cradle for many hermit-desert-herders. It is known that dozens of his monks, asking for blessings from the abbot, shut themselves off from the world in impassable thickets, building wretched cells for themselves and spending their lives in fasts and prayers. They appeared in the monastery only for confession and communion. This form of religious asceticism was widespread at the beginning of the 18th century and was then preserved for many years.
Patronage of the formidable king
The first stone building of the monastery, and along with the environs of Bryansk, was the Assumption Cathedral, built by order of Ivan the Terrible. It is known that in the nature of the king demonic cruelty was surprisingly combined with extreme religiosity. Giving a fierce execution to innocent people, he could then stand up all night in prayers for the repose of their souls.
In preparation for the Livonian war, the pious emperor did not skimp on contributions to the holy cloisters. He did not pass by the Assumption Svensky Monastery, which at that time was both a fortified fortification and an important spiritual center. Archival documents have been preserved to this day, testifying to the donations he has repeatedly made. In particular, in 1561, the Svensky Monastery (Bryansk) received a significant amount from him on the occasion of the death of his wife Anastasia. A little later, they contributed money for the construction of a temple in honor of the Cave wonderworkers Anthony and Theodosius.
Raids of foreign adversaries
But it is clear that the Lord did not bless the donations of the murderer king - in 1583 the Lithuanians with whom he waged war captured the Svensky Monastery, and, having plundered everything that could be carried out, they burned it. Miraculously, only the Svensky icon of the Mother of God was preserved. After long and hard labors, the monastery was reborn after this, but in 1664 God's wrath fell upon her again - this time she became the prey of the Crimean Tatars.
This time it was easier to raise the monastery walls from the ashes, since even three years earlier the monastery was attributed to the Kiev Pechersk Lavra, and from there the feasible help went. Thanks to her, in 1679, the gateway Sretensky church was erected on the territory of the monastery, which survived the centuries and has survived to this day.
Crowned Visits
Svensky Monastery, reborn from the ashes, remembers the visits of many royal persons. It is known that in 1708 Peter I visited it and even stayed for the night. The house in which the sovereign spent the night lived up to the revolution, and it was shown to all visitors as a historical attraction. Another witness to the royal visit - an oak tree planted by monks in honor of this event, stands to this day, also attracting the attention of many pilgrims and tourists.
During one of her travels, Empress Catherine II visited the walls of the Svensky Assumption Monastery. Having found his main temple in a very dilapidated and in need of immediate repair condition, she donated six thousand rubles, to which he was soon completely rebuilt. A more convenient, dry and high place in the center of the monastery was chosen for him.
Until the beginning of the 20th century, the Svensky Assumption Monastery (Bryansk) survived in peace and prosperity. As before, his treasury received generous donations from God-loving citizens and the person of the reigning house. Near the walls of the monastery the fair was noisy, which was one of the largest in the western part of Russia, and the God-loving monks offered prayers for the tsar and the fatherland. This continued until 1917.
Coming of Dashing Times
From the beginning of the twenties, the Bolsheviks who came to power began to gradually, but systematically close the monastery. When a campaign to seize church property swept through the country, allegedly aimed at combating hunger, everything that was of interest to the new government was taken out of the monastery.
Church utensils, collected there over many centuries, were taken out of the churches, removed and sent to the melting of the bell, and gold and silver salaries were ruthlessly peeled from the icons. It seemed that the days of Lithuanian and Tatar invaders were back. Systematic looting continued until 1926, after which Svensky Monastery was closed.
The mortal sin of captain Rykhlov and all who were with him
The next stage in the destruction of this historical and cultural monument began in 1930, when, by order of the city authorities, most of the monastery buildings were demolished. The Assumption Cathedral was also blown up, so successfully rebuilt on the donations of Catherine II. The blast wave also damaged the nearby church of the Cave miracle workers, leaving only the lower tier from the previous building. Svensky Assumption Monastery (Bryansk) ceased to exist.
This act of vandalism was committed by a group of Soviet bombers. History retained the name of their commander, Captain Rykhlov. Over the past years, he was not alive, and we can only hope that at the death hour the Lord sent him repentance for his deeds and did not allow him to retreat to another world with a soul burdened with this terrible sin.
Ruins returned to the people
But the wheel of history does not stand still. Having swept the country with all the hardships that fell to its lot in the 20th century, at the end it plunged Russia into the stormy ocean of perestroika. In 1992, the Svensky Monastery (Bryansk) was returned to the Church. By this time, of all the previous buildings, only the Sretenskaya and Preobrazhenskaya churches, requiring the overhaul, as well as the remains of the monastery walls and several former outbuildings in disrepair were preserved.
Other buildings were destroyed, and most of them did not even leave traces, and in the ruins that remained it was difficult to recognize the former Svensky Monastery (Bryansk), known from archival documents. The photos published in the article give an idea of the scope of the work.
Divine services
The restoration of the former architectural complex immediately began. First of all, the overhaul and restoration were carried out in two surviving churches, which today in their original form again became the place of regular worship, which, after decades of oblivion, was resumed by the Svensky Monastery. The schedule of services held in them is slightly different from the schedule of other Orthodox churches.
On weekdays, morning services begin at 8:00, and evening at 17:00. Late Liturgy is also held on Sundays and public holidays. It starts at 10:00. All additional worship services and religious processions held in the monastery in connection with various holidays can be found on his website. After the restoration from the ruins of the temple of Anthony and Theodosius of the Caves, completed in 2012, regular services are also held there.
Currently, work is underway to restore the Assumption Cathedral, which was destroyed in 1930. They began in 2005 with an analysis of the remaining ruins, as well as an engineering and archaeological survey of the foundation. Upon their completion, in 2010 a board of trustees was created from representatives of state and public organizations, who led the restoration work. Since that time, the Svensky Monastery (Bryansk) became the place where widespread construction began.
Pilgrimage to the cloister
Gradually, monastic life returns to its ancient walls. As in previous years, pilgrims hurry here to bow to the shrine, which for the Orthodox people is still the Svensky Monastery (Bryansk). You can find out how to get to it in this publication.
It is recommended that you go from Bryansk train station by trolleybus No. 1 to the Telecentre and then by bus No. 7 to the monastery. Another option: from the bus station by bus number 7 or by shuttle bus number 45, 36 to the stop "Svensky Monastery". Photos attached to the article will help you accurately know the purpose of the trip.