In a difficult moment, we always turn to God, ask him for deliverance from trouble, for recovery, for peace of mind. Despite the numerous persecutions of the Orthodox Church, every year it is reborn and is more confidently on its feet. Crowds of parishioners are sent to the doors of churches during the great Orthodox holidays, trying to observe fasts and other important days and dates. Coming to the temple, we not only pray for ourselves, but also for everyone who is present at the service. The requests of people are amplified a hundredfold, which means that prayers become stronger. In monasteries, brothers and sisters pray day and night for us, asking the Lord for mercy. Today we will talk about some holy monasteries that have become famous not only throughout Russia, but also the world.
Convents of Russia
As early as the 11th century, immediately after Russia accepted the
Baptism of the Lord and became Holy, corners of faith and worship of God began to emerge everywhere. Monasteries often played the role of a fortress, which was able to protect against the onslaught of the invaders, which was especially true in the Middle Ages. The location of buildings on the territory was standard: in the center of the temple, around - the cells of nuns or monks. There were
monasteries for women and men. We’ll talk about the first ones today.
Assumption Convent
The holy monastery owes its appearance to John the Terrible. The tsar in 1564 stopped in the Alexander settlement of the Vladimir region. From his close associates, he founded a monastic fraternity and recreated a monastic way of life. Over the next 17 years, the king not only lived on the territory, but also ruled the country from there. The monastery endured a lot, and during the reign of the great tsar, Alexei Mikhailovich, the monastery became women's. By 1727, there were about 400 sisters. At the Assumption Convent there were: a school, a house for pilgrims, a hospital, and a workshop for needlewomen.
New life
Since the mid-19th century, many women's monasteries began to be gradually restored. So the Assumption Monastery was reborn: the cathedral was restored in the name of the Life-Giving Trinity, the church bell tower, the cells of the nuns of royal blood and other buildings. The pride of the monastery is the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which since the 16th century has been the central link in the monastery.
Tikhvin Nunnery
The appearance of the female holy monastery was associated with a real miracle. Once a small city in the territory of the modern Chuvash Republic, Tsivilsk, for several weeks reflected the attack of the fighters of the legendary Stenka Razin. The city’s reserves were depleted, residents lost faith in the ability to defend their native land. On the night when the decision was made to retreat, the dean resident of Iulania Vasilyeva appeared in a dream to the Mother of God and announced that the city would not go to the robbers, and that residents should build a monastery on their own in honor of this event. The holy image accurately indicated the place where it was necessary to lay it. The prophecy came true, and the happy and free citizens in 1675 erected a church in honor of the icon of the Mother of God of Tikhvin, and later a man’s monastery. In 1870 he was transformed into a female, and from that moment he received a second wind.
And to this day
Thanks to the efforts of the abbesses, sisters, numerous pilgrims and simply indifferent Orthodox Christians, even today the monastery lives its own special life. In 2001, he was visited by Alexy II, His Holiness Patriarch of All Russia. At this point, a significant number of buildings were restored and brought into proper shape. Cultural figures of Russia, the government of the Republic of Chuvashia in every possible way emphasize the importance of the Tikhvin Nunnery and develop it. The flow of pilgrims to the holy place does not dry out, partly due to which the life of the nuns is supported.
Another convent
Trinity Convent - this is another story. The birthday of the holy monastery of the Penza region can safely be considered October 15, 1692. On this significant day, His Holiness Patriarch Cyrus Andrian gave a blessing for the construction. The land for the holy monastery was collected "by the whole world": several plots were bought up, which later became the site for the monastery. Despite the extremely inconvenient location and proximity of the marshland, the holy monastery became famous throughout Russia.
The ups and downs of the holy monastery
Much survived the convent. Photos to this day have preserved what happened to him over the years. This is the decree of Great Catherine II on the return of land in favor of the state, and numerous fires, after which it was more and more difficult to restore the wooden monastery buildings. The rebellion of Emelyan Pugachev was reflected in the history of the monastery: the nuns who met the robbers subsequently lost their immunity.
Despite everything, the efforts of the abbess and sisters in 1780, the holy monastery was rebuilt almost anew from stone and brick. The leadership has always paid attention not only to the monastery, but also to the inhabitants of their native land. The first in the city on the territory of the monastery opened a school for girls left orphans, children from poor families. Citizens were happy to buy products sold in the seamstress workshop, because the sisters were especially accurate in their work. Linen, embroidery with gold, silk, handmade lace were famous not only in Penza, but throughout Russia.
How to visit a holy place
Everyone can visit the monasteries for women and men, because such a trip will benefit both the soul and body. Random travelers were always warmly welcomed in the holy monastery, they were given lodging and uncomplicated food. Nowadays, some Orthodox visit monasteries, live there for a while, pray and work along with novices. Before arriving, you need to get permission from the abbess, attend an interview, prove good thoughts and intentions. In addition to documents and replaceable clothes, you need to have repentance, meekness and obedience with you. Everything should follow the advice and example of the sisters of the monastery, follow all instructions and instructions. This type of tourism is not very common these days, but pilgrimage trips to monasteries for women or men will be the best impetus for the revival and salvation of the soul. Nothing is better than moving away from worldly concerns and plunging into another world where faith, hope, love rule.