At a distance of three kilometers from the Holy Trinity St. Sergius Lavra, the Chernigov-Gethsemane Skete attributed to it is located. From the middle of the XIX century until the establishment of Soviet power, it was one of two related, but still independent monasteries, located on opposite sides of Korbushinsky, or, as it is also called, the Upper Skitsky Pond. Their story repeats the hard way of the people from selfless service to God, who had fallen to the complete trampling of holiness and again returning to its spiritual sources.
Features of monastic life
In Russian Orthodoxy, from time immemorial, a tradition has developed: especially zealous monks, asking for blessings from the abbot, leave the walls of the monastery and settle in a distance from it. Such withdrawal allowed them to concentrate more on prayer, avoiding all worldly and vain things, which, one way or another, penetrates the walls of the monastery. Administratively, they remained assigned to the main monastery and obeyed its abbot in everything, but their chosen life form allowed them to establish a more strict charter based on the strictest penance rules.
Sometimes the monks settled in solitude and became hermits, but sometimes they, united by several people, founded a small but independent monastery called the monastery. This word itself comes from the name of the region of Egypt, in which, according to legend, monasticism originated, and from where it spread around the world.
Founders of the first sketas
The earliest monastery of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra - Gethsemane - was founded in the middle of the XIX century by monks who wished to indulge in a more secluded prayer life. They chose a place for him on the bank of the Korbushinsky pond, opposite the laurel. This happened, as is evident from the documents, in 1845, and two years later, on the near shore in the Isakovskaya Grove, the Moscow holy fool Filippushka, very revered in those years, settled.
Previously, this man of God was a inhabitant of the Lavra, but, having asked the rector for a blessing on the feat of seclusion, he withdrew from the brethren and, in a secluded place, dug himself an earth cell. But this was not a simple dugout, in which those to whom life turned out to be a stepmother often settled in Russia. Filippushka built his cell on the model of caves arranged in the Kiev Pechersk Lavra, where he had the opportunity to visit during his endless wanderings. The holy fool spent four years in tireless work. Gradually, other monks began to join him. As a result of their zeal in 1851, a whole complex of underground passages with small cells and a cave temple was built, dedicated in honor of the Archangel Michael.
The miraculous icon and the wise old man
In 1852, the local landowner Alexandra Grigoryevna Filippova donated the icon of the Chernigov Mother of God for the cave church , which later became known as the Chernigov-Gethsemane Icon and gave the name to the monastery itself. Her gracious power manifested itself for the first time when, through the prayers before her, a paralyzed peasant received healing. Later, such cases were repeated more than once.
Since the beginning of the seventies of the XIX century, the Chernigov-Gethsemane monastery has gained special fame. This is because Vasily Ilyich Merkulov settles in it, who has become one of the prominent representatives of the Russian elders. Those who long for God's truth come to the monastery from all over the country to speak with him, and in January days of 1905, after the well-known events, Emperor Nicholas II came to the Palace Square . In 1866, Merkulov took tonsure with the name of Barnabas.
Completion of the construction period
Starting from the second half of the fifties of the 19th century, the Chernigov-Gethsemane monastery expands, and new structures are being erected on its territory. In particular, the wooden church of the saints Saint Anthony and Theodosius was built. They also increased the cave church. But the main construction took place at the end of the century. The cave complex was officially called the Chernihiv monastery.
Under the yoke of godless power
In 1919, the atheist company initiated by Lenin also affected Sergiev Posad. In November, the laurel was closed. By order of the city authorities, the inhabitants were obliged to move to both sketches located at the Upper Skitsky Pond - Gethsemane and Chernigov.
But the monks did not live in them for long. In 1921, the Chernigov monastery was closed, and the miraculous icon inside it was transferred to the Moscow church of St. Sergius of Radonezh. The Gethsemane monastery lasted a little longer. During the NEP, he was given the status of an agricultural community, and for some time the monastery remained self-sufficient.
However, already in 1924 the last church was closed, consecrated in honor of the Assumption and Ascension of the Mother of God, and soon this was followed by the eviction from the habitable place and the monks themselves. The last abbot of the monastery - Abbot Israel - was sent to exile, where he died in the early fifties.
Post-war years
At the end of the war, Sergiev Posad was among those few cities where monastic life was revived. In 1946, by order of the government, they reopened the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, where the first service was held on Assumption Cathedral on Maundy Thursday. However, the return to the monks of the monasteries taken from them was not discussed. In the territory where the Gethsemane monastery used to be, a military unit has been located since the beginning of the fifties. For its improvement, all the monastery buildings that had been preserved until then were blown up. Only a small part of the fence survived.
The fate of the Chernigov monastery was no less sad. During the Soviet period, it was used for a long time as a prison, and then as a boarding school for the disabled. Only in 1988, when state policy towards the church changed, did the process of its revival begin. In this regard, on the initiative of the Moscow Patriarchate and with the participation of Orthodox activists, a special committee was established.
The return of the monastery to the ownership of the monastery
At the same time, regular divine services were held in the Holy Trinity St. Sergius Lavra in front of the miraculous icon of the Mother of God of Chernigov, which at that time was in the porch of the Trinity Cathedral, and in front of other shrines. Regular funeral services were also resumed at the resting place of Elder Barnabas.
As a result of tireless prayers and lengthy negotiations with officials at various levels, the Chernigov-Gethsemane monastery was finally transferred to the monastery, and this process was phased. At first, the building of the Chernihiv Cathedral and the miraculously preserved wooden cell of the old man Barnabas, the very one to whom the emperor personally came, were returned to the former owners.
Then, the remaining buildings and the very territory on which they are located were transferred to the monastery authorities. In full, the monastery returned to its former life in 1990, when monastic residence was resumed there. Five years later, the elder Barnabas was also counted among the saints, on whose grave many healings were witnessed.
Sergiev Posad. Gethsemane Chernigov monastery today
Time has put everything in its place. Today, the Chernigov-Gethsemane monastery, as in previous years, accepts a large number of people who want to visit this amazing place. In addition to the fact that it was revived as a center of spiritual life, it is rightly considered one of the most significant historical and cultural monuments. The architectural center of the complex is the Chernihiv temple, built in 1889.
Under it is a cave temple, which marked the beginning of the construction of the monastery. Its refectory was significantly expanded in the last years of the 19th century, and the altar is today placed in the part created by the founder of the monastery, the holy fool Filippushka. The temple is completely restored and services are held there.
The complex of buildings in the pseudo-Russian style
In addition, the two-story cell building, the construction of which was completed in 1865, deserves attention. It should be noted that all the buildings that adorned the Chernigov Gethsemane monastery of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra after 1889 were erected in the pseudo-Russian style. This allowed architects to create a single architectural ensemble, which included the building of the Chernihiv Cathedral.
Of particular interest to those who visit the monastery of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra is the five-tier bell tower, built in 1895, opposite the Chernihiv church. The author of the project was the Moscow architect A. A. Latkov. In addition to its artistic merits, it is also remarkable for the fact that its height is almost equal to the bell tower of the Holy Trinity St. Sergius Lavra, which rose eighty-eight meters to the sky.
Among the shrines that the Gethsemane Chernigov Monastery is famous for is the “Indestructible Wall” icon. The meaning of this Mother of God image, in which the Queen of Heaven is depicted with her arms raised to heaven, is contained in the name itself, expressing Her intercession for Christians and intercession of them before Her Eternal Son. This icon, like the famous "Chernigov Icon of the Mother of God", is recognized as miraculous.
How to get to the monastery?
The usual question asked by those who want to visit the Chernigov-Gethsemane Skete is how to get to it. It will not be difficult. It is enough to take an electric train to Sergiev Posad station, and then continue on bus number 38. The necessary stop is called the Chernigov Skit. You can also use the services of a minibus, having reached the village of Ferma. The further walk will take no more than five minutes. Each visitor to the monastery will undoubtedly plunge into the atmosphere of Russian Orthodox antiquity.