There are many ancient monasteries in Russia. One of the most famous is Luzhetsky, located near Mozhaisk on the banks of the Moscow River. This interesting Orthodox complex annually attracts hundreds of tourists and believers, most of whom consider it to be one of the few places in Russia that have preserved the spirit of the old pre-revolutionary Orthodox monasteries.
When and by whom was it founded?
About how the Luzhetsky Monastery developed in Mozhaisk (its photos are presented on the page), many old chronicles tell. The first stones of this interesting complex were laid in 1408. The founder of the monastery was the student of St. Sergius of Radonezh, Ferapont Belozersky.
By the time of the construction of the Luzhetsky monastery, the old man was already 70 years old. This monastery was founded at the request of Prince Andrei Mozhaisk.
A Brief Biography of Father Ferapont
This Orthodox saint was born near Volokolamsk in 1337. His parents were a boyar clan. In the world of the future founder of the Luzhetsky monastery, they called Fedor Poskochin. The monk the saint decided to become already in adulthood. He received tonsure at the Moscow Simon Monastery. The then abbot of the monastery was blessed by his father, Fyodor, who was nephew of Sergius of Radonezh. Presumably, the tonsure of the saints was adopted in 1385.
In the Simon Monastery of St. Ferapont became friends with another righteous reverend - Father Cyril. Together they founded a cloister on the shore of Beloozero. According to legend, the Virgin Mary herself indicated the place of construction of the new monastery to Father Cyril. The Belozersky monastery was founded by the reverends in 1398. It was in this monastery that Father Ferapont spent the next ten years of his life, until he was invited by Prince Andrew to found a new monastery.
The construction of the monastery
Arriving in Mozhaisk, Father Ferapont blessed the place where the construction of the monastery was planned. The complex was built with the money of Prince Andrew. Many monasteries in Russia were built of wood. For the construction of religious buildings Luzhetsky monastery was originally selected stone. The first to build the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Mother of God. At the same time cells were built for the future fraternity.
Father Ferapont Belozersky himself was appointed the first archimandrite of the new monastery. Remained the residence of the saint Luzhetsky Bogoroditsky monastery for 18 years. Elder Ferapont died in 1426 at the age of 95. Ferapont was reckoned a saint in 1547. The old man was buried near the northern wall of the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin. Later, a temple was built over his grave. Currently, only the foundation remains of this structure.
A brief biography of Prince Andrew
The Russian ruler, by decree of which was built Ferapontov Luzhetsky Mozhaisk monastery, was the third son of Dmitry Donskoy. He became Prince of Mozhaisk in 1389. These lands were bequeathed to him at the age of seven by a dying father. In addition to Mozhaisk, his possessions included such cities as Kaluga, Iskona, Galichichi and Beloozero, in which Father Ferapont lived for a long time.
The idea of building a monastery came to Prince Andrei for a very simple reason. The fact is that in the vicinity of the main city of its lands there were no large monasteries dedicated to the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. After the construction of the monastery, this ruler in every possible way helped her archimandrite. Prince Andrei Mozhaysky died six years after the death of Father Ferapont - in 1432.
Creation of a new ensemble
Today the complex "Luzhetsky Monastery" (Mozhaisk) includes, of course, much more buildings than they were under Father Ferapont. The current ensemble of the monastery began to be created in 1523 at the initiative of the then archimandrite Father Macarius of Moscow. At the request of this priest, the Church of the Virgin, which stood for about a hundred years, was demolished. In its place, a large five-domed Cathedral with a gallery was built. The temple was painted with specially invited masters of the school of Dionysius. Unfortunately, only some fragments of those frescoes have survived to our time.
In 1692, with the support of Patriarch Joachim, a three-tier bell tower was built on the territory of the monastery. The main donors of the monastery at that time were representatives of the Saveliev family. Later they were buried on the first tier of this building. Unfortunately, their tombstones, like the frescoes in the Cathedral, were not preserved.
What kind of buildings the Luzhetsky Monastery consisted of (the photos of the modern complex presented on the page, its scale are clearly shown) is not known for certain in the past. But there is a letter, according to which between 1569 and 1574 four royal children were sent to the monastery. And this means that at least 4 churches were operating on the territory of the monastery.
Temple of St. Ferapont
This church was built directly over the relics of the founder of the Luzhetsky monastery. When exactly her bookmark took place is also unknown. Some researchers suggest that the temple could stand on the territory of the monastery during the life of the saint. Others believe that they built it at the beginning of the 16th century. Exact references to the existence of this monastery are found only in documents from the late 16th century.
Luzhetsky Monastery in Time of Troubles
During the period of the Lithuanian invasion of 1605-1619. the cloister was seriously damaged. All churches were completely ruined. The disaster happened so serious that another 7 years after this service were performed only in the Cathedral. From this largest temple of the complex, as well as from all the others, the Lithuanians took out a huge number of salaries of icons, sacred vessels and other valuable church utensils. Fortunately, the coffin of Ferapont's father then remained intact. The monastery was restored in the following years, mainly with donations.
The cloister of the French
Another disaster Luzhetsky monastery suffered during the war with Napoleon. The French, who captured Mozhaisk, placed the Westphalian corps of General Junot in the monastery. As a result, the monastery was turned into a kind of carpentry.
Like the Lithuanians, the French stole from the churches and the Cathedral many expensive items of church utensils. However, fortunately, this time the invaders did not cause much damage to the cloister. For example, the church of St. Feraponta was fully ready for the consecration a month after returning to the monastery of the brethren.
Icon of the Head of the Forerunner
In 1871, in the new aisle of the church of St. Ferapont's iconostasis and holy throne were arranged. The icon of the Head of the Forerunner was miraculously preserved on the front side in 1812 (its back side was badly chopped). The chapel was consecrated in honor of this icon in September 1871.
During the years of Soviet power
Like all other monasteries of the country, during the reign of the Communists, the Luzhetsky Monastery experienced far from good times. In 1929 it was closed. Part of the brotherhood was dispersed, the other part was repressed. Before the Second World War, the monastery had a workshop for the production of medical equipment. Over the necropolis authorities arranged garages and warehouses with inspection pits. Then for a long time the monastery stood completely unowned.
The restoration of the monastery
The Luzhetsky Monastery was handed over to the church in 1994. The first hierarchal service in the newly opened Church of the Nativity took place on October 23. In May 1999, at the initiative of the Metropolitan of Kolomensky and Krutitsky Juvenal, the relics of the Monk St. Feraponta. Now they are transferred to the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin.
In April 2015, a new bell was raised to the bell tower of the monastery, whose weight is 2.5 tons. The opening of this religious building took place on August 9, 2015. Prior to this, the reconstruction of the bell tower lasted 10 months.
Features of the modern complex
To date, the Luzhetsky Ferapontov Monastery includes the following buildings:
- cells with the rector’s building;
- the bell tower with the tomb of the Savelov family (1673-1692);
- Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (1524-1547);
- the foundation left from the treasurer's house (end of the 19th century);
- Church of the Introduction of the Blessed Virgin Mary with refectory (XVI century);
- northern and southern corps in the eastern part (end of the XIX beginning of the XX century);
- Gate Church of the Transfiguration (1603);
- the foundation of the church of St. Feraponta;
- necropolis.
The Gate Church of the Transfiguration, among other things, is famous for the fact that at its consecration in 1603, Boris Godunov himself was present.
In addition to the structures listed above, the entrance gate to the east, erected in 1780, was preserved. The Luzhetsky Monastery is surrounded by a fence with towers from 1681-1684. On the territory of the complex there are also utility gates erected in the 90s of the XIX century. The necropolis includes several ancient tombstones with a forked cross and pagan symbols.
From the walls of the monastery offers a magnificent view of the Moscow River. Near the monastery, near its walls, a dam is built.
Spring
Another attraction of the monastery is a well with holy water. It is located not in the territory of the monastery, but in the nearby village of Isavitsa. It is believed that this well was dug by the old man Ferapont himself.
The area around the spring is landscaped - there are benches and baths. There is also a monument to Father Ferapont. There is also a chapel and a church shop in the village. To get to the well, you need to stand in line. There are many people who want to draw holy water in the spring of Ferapont.
Necropolis of the cloister
Some tourists find the cemetery of the monks, located on the territory of the monastery, quite unusual. It seems that the tombstones do not belong to the graves. The fact is that on many of them non-Christian symbols are knocked out at all: swastikas and Kolovrats. The same stones lie in the backyard. Once they were used as material for the construction of the monastery.
Perhaps, in ancient times, a pagan cemetery was located on this place. And so as not to go far, the first builders simply used strong tombstones to erect cult buildings of the new official religion. Of course, this is nothing more than an assumption. However, pagan symbols (and on some stones and inscriptions in the Old Slavic language) could not be taken from nowhere, of course.
Mozhaisk Luzhetsky Ferapontov Monastery: how to get there?
By public transport from Moscow to the monastery can be reached from the Belorussky station. To do this, take the train going to the Mozhaysk station, and then take the bus to the Moskva River stop.
By personal transport you should move along the Minsk highway to Mozhaysk. Then you need to turn to the river according to the signs. In total, the road from Moscow to the monastery takes no more than two hours.