They say that while the laity are sleeping, the monks pray and thereby give the world the opportunity to exist. In Russia, Orthodox monasteries with ancient traditions of asceticism are a great many. Today they have become centers for the revival of spirituality, which gives the country and people a chance to have their own path of development, worldview and preservation of their own identity. The Vazheozersky Monastery in Karelia has been a center of spiritual life for 500 years. He continues to attract pilgrims, tourists, lovers of antiquity.
Rev. Gennady and Nicephorus
In the 16th century, the Monk Gennady took a fancy to the shores of Lake Vazha for a prayer feat. This happened around 1500, it is impossible to establish the date more precisely, because written evidence has not been preserved. Father Gennady was a disciple of Alexander Svirsky and wished for the glory of God to live as a hermit in a severe land - Karelia. He chose a cave, where the earth served him as a bed, and prayer as a blanket. His faith and ministry were so earnest that for feats he became a seer during life, a healer by the grace of God. The reverend died in 1516. During his life, he did not set as his goal the foundation of the monastery, but new ascetics came to the place of his prayers, with the efforts of which the domes of churches ascended into the sky.
Tentatively in 1520, the Monk Nikifor, also a follower of Alexander Svirsky, with his disciples came to the place where the Monk Gennady worked. They built several cells and a wooden Transfiguration Church, later these structures formed a monastery courtyard, and the Vazheozersky Transfiguration Monastery arose. Rev. Nicephorus became the first abbot of the monastic fraternity, and he remained in this rank until the end of his days.
Lithuanian invasion
During the life of the first hegumen, Tsar Ivan the Terrible granted the monastery lands that the monks themselves had to cultivate. The tsar’s decree noted that the brethren did not have the right to hire peasants, to settle families of workers on their land: “But they wouldn’t put villages and repairs on that forest, and they wouldn’t call peasants to that forest, and would hire in that natural forest and arable land they didn’t individually give anyone. ”
Vazheozersky monastery was first ruined in the Time of Troubles of Russian history. This happened in the 17th century: the Lithuanians attacked defenseless hermits and exterminated everyone, ruined the monastery. Hegumen Dorofei and part of the brotherhood were killed by the hands of the invaders (according to some accounts, 20 people were martyred), some monks managed to escape. The monastery compound was empty, but for a long time served as a place of pilgrimage to the graves of the martyrs. To date, the burial place is unknown, the traces of the saints are lost, as are their names. Also, the chapel built over the graves of the founders of the monastery of Gennady and Nicephorus, staged by the abbot of Abbot Dorotheus, enjoyed great respect among the faithful.
Historical twists and turns
In 1623, as is known from the annals, the Vazheozersky monastery served as a shelter for only six ascetics. The material condition was disastrous, there were no books, the monks wandered around the yards in search of food, fished. It was also sad that the brothers lived in a monastery devastated by Lithuanians, and were also oppressed by peasants who lived around the courtyard.
Through the efforts of the brethren and prayers, the monastery began to come to life a little, a new church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a bell tower, a cookhouse were built. The new Father Superior Anthony, who appeared in the monastery in 1620, made a donation in the form of an expensive Gospel and built a cell. Over the next forty years, the financial situation of the monastery was gradually improving. According to the inventory made in 1680, the number of monks and workers was 22 people, church utensils and the monastery economy increased significantly. The following years brought further multiplication.
In the years 1700, during the church reform, the Vazheozersky monastery was attributed to the Sandem desert (1723), was abolished and converted to the parish church (1764). From 1800 to 1846, the monastery was under the patronage of the Alexander Svir Monastery. Full-blooded monastic life began to revive in 1830, with the advent of Hegumen Isaiah. He managed to achieve the independence of the monastery and at the same time preserve all the once granted lands intact.
Rebirth
In the summer of 1885 the Vazheozersky monastery was devastated by a strong fire in which all the buildings were burned. Miraculously, the chapel of the great martyr Nikita, the house at the western gate and the walls of the stone church, survived. By the efforts of the brethren and Hegumen Benjamin, after half a year, the stone church of All Saints was restored and consecrated. Parishioners flocked to the monastery, philanthropists made large donations - the monastery flourished and became more beautiful. The blessing for the restoration of the monastery was given by John of Kronstadt himself, who was also the first donor.
In 1892, the bell tower and the wooden church of the Transfiguration of the Lord were completed, and John of Kronstadt arrived to consecrate it, which attracted a large number of pilgrims. By the end of the 1800s, several temples were built, a hotel, the Igumen building, workshops for workers and a desert compound in St. Petersburg.
In the Petersburg court in 1894, a two-story church dedicated to the Romanov monarch family was laid. Now these buildings belong to the city administration, but negotiations are underway on their return to the ownership of the monastery. By the beginning of the new century, in 1901, a total of 44 people lived in the monastery.
Closure of the cloister
With the advent of Soviet power, the Olonets region, where the monastery was located, began to undergo major changes. Under the new requirements, all landowners had to unite into state farms, so new formations began to appear on the site of the dioceses. The monks tried under the changing conditions to maintain a lifestyle, lifestyle and continue to serve. But in the years 1918-1919, the possessions of all the cloisters were nationalized, the abbots ruled them, but in new ranks, and the brethren were considered a commune. By 1920, the situation was complicated by the fact that under the state farm, organized from the monastery, a children's colony was created. Five monks were left with her as servants, giving them one room for housing and a church for worship.
By 1930, all churches and monasteries of Karelia were closed, the Vazheozersky monastery ceased to function. The inhabitants of the monastery were partially repressed, deported to the camps, shot in the monastery walls. In 1935, only walls remained for the monastery, which served completely different purposes. A cinema, gym, and dining room were arranged on the courtyard. In the post-war years, in 1945, two institutions were located in the once glorious monastery: a juvenile colony and a psychiatric hospital.
At the end of the 20th century
In 1991, the desert returned to the diocese, supplementing the monasteries of Karelia. From 1992 to 2000, the monastery was given to the female community under the supervision of the senior nun Seraphim. The first service in the Transfiguration Church took place in early August 1992. At this point, the church and the whole territory were in ruin, there were not enough funds even for simple repairs. Nevertheless, work was carried out, albeit not as soon as desired. In 1995, the monastery received Hegumen Illarion, who is still alive today. For two years he was the only hieromonk of the monastery.
The daily liturgy in the church in honor of All Saints began in February 1998, on the day of the veneration of the Monks Gennady and Nicephorus. By the work of the sisters, until 2000, the refectory, workshop, and bakery were restored, and the construction of the archbishop and abbot houses was laid.
Monastery
After 2000, restoration work is ongoing on the territory of the monastery. Much has been done during this time: the completely destroyed bell tower was restored in the old place, the gate church of John of Rylsky was almost rebuilt (there was a fire in 2001), 2 cell buildings for the brethren, new Holy Gates were built. The great joy was the restoration of the chapel dedicated to the great martyr Nikita. The cemetery that was desecrated in Soviet times was cleared, and the chapel of the New Martyrs of Russia flaunts at this place.
At the moment, several hieromonks are working in the monastery in the service of God, pilgrims from cities such as St. Petersburg, Petrozavodsk, Gatchina and other places are striving for the temple. The monastery and the brethren are still guarded by the founders of the monastery, the Monks Gennady and Nicephorus, whose relics rest under the Church of All Saints.
Every year, a summer camp is organized at the Vajeozersky monastery in the summer months, where children from 9 to 14 years old come. The program of their stay includes not only rest, but also prayers, services, labor obedience. Over the summer period, there are about 100 people from nearby villages, as well as from cities such as St. Petersburg, Petrozavodsk, Gatchina, etc.
Temples and shrines of the cloister
Today on the territory of the monastery courtyard there are 5 temples: In honor of the Transfiguration of the Lord, the Monks Nicephorus and Gennady Wazheozersky, the Church of All Saints, the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Gate Church of John Rylsky.
Chapels of the monastery: New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia, Gennady and Nicephorus Wazheozersky, pr. Sergius of Radonezh, John the Baptist, Great Martyr Nikita.
In Vazheozersky men's monastery (Olonets district) there are many revered Christian shrines: particles of the Life-giving Cross of the Lord and the Mamvrian oak. Also here are stored and accessible to believers more than 20 particles of the relics of the Saints revered by the church, among them the relics of Seraphim of Sarov, Alexander Svirsky, Prince Alexander Nevsky, Baptist John the Baptist, Optina Elders and others.
Rectors
Throughout the entire history of the monastery, there were 23 governors, of whom not all were abbots and rectors, often the monks were at the head of the brethren, endowed with trust, but not endowed with the title. The first rector and abbot from 1520 to 1557 was the Monk Nicephorus. The next hegumen was Dorotheus, who was killed by the Lithuanians (1588-1612). In 1640, Anthony was abbess, until 1764 he ruled the monastery of Tarasius. In 1830, Isaiah was invested with confidence. From 1846 to 1853, the builder Mitrofan was engaged in the affairs of the monastery.
Priest Daniel ran the monastery from 1853 to 1870. Hegumen Sylvester held the post from 1871 to 1877, followed by a series of monk rulers (from 1877 to 1890), not endowed with the title: Azarius, Gennady, Benjamin, hieromonk Veniamin, Filaret, Jonah. From 1899 to 1901, hegumen Mitrofan governed the monastery. For eight years (1902-1910), the monk George was engaged in affairs, and from 1911 to 1912 the rank of hegumen was occupied by hieromonk Vasily.
Before the revolution, the duties of hegumen were performed by Vladimir, who later became archimandrite. The hard time of the revolution fell on the control of Hegumen Paisius - since 1917, the date of his death is unknown. The revival of the monastery was entrusted to the nun Seraphim from 1992 to 1995. In 1995, Paisiy (Kovalev) managed the monastery, and in the same year, hegumen Illarion, who has been acting in the monastery for the time being, was appointed to the monastery that overshadows Vazha Lake.