In the summer of 2013, the natives of the Nativity of Christ Convent in Tver celebrated the sixth anniversary of their monastery, shortly before this revived after a long period of persecution that hit the Church in the 20th century. This celebration was the result of a long and painstaking work carried out both by Orthodox activists supported by the leadership of the Tver diocese, and by a large number of voluntary assistants and, very importantly, sponsors who contributed to the restoration of the violated shrine.
The brainchild of Bishop Arseny
The exact date of the founding of the Nativity of Christ Monastery in Tver is unknown, but, according to a number of historical documents, this event occurred at the end of the XIV century with the blessing of the Bishop of Tver, Arseny, glorified several centuries later in the face of saints. Only fragmentary information has come down to us about the initial period in the history of the monastery, from which it is clear that the natives made great efforts to equip it and create everything necessary for a full spiritual life.
The years of the Time of Troubles, when innumerable troubles fell on Russia, are covered in more detail in the documents. They did not pass over Tver either. The Nativity of Christ Monastery was captured by the Lithuanians and completely ruined. In the fire of fire, the fruits of the many years of the labors of his sisters and all that was sacrificed by pious pilgrims were burned. Only in the middle of the XVII century, thanks to the help provided by the sovereign Alexei Mikhailovich, did his systematic restoration begin. The church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, which had burnt before, was rebuilt and cells were rebuilt.
Finding a miraculous image
An important milestone in the history of the monastery was 1694, when it was tonsured by a young noblewoman, Evdokia Rostopchina, who took the name Elena as a monk. With her, she brought the miraculous Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God, to this day, which is the main shrine of the Tver Christ Nativity Monastery. This image gained national fame thanks to the many healings and other miracles that were revealed through prayers that were offered before him to the Most Holy Theotokos.
Pious Sacrificers and Patrons of the Monastery
At the end of the 18th century, the construction of stone buildings began, replacing the previously constructed wooden buildings. This process was particularly successful due to the patronage provided by the monastery to sovereign Paul I, after the death of which the pious work of the father was continued by his son, the emperor Alexander I, who ascended the throne.
However, not only the august persons inscribed their names in the history of the Nativity of Christ Monastery - in Tver there were many pious people who did not spare funds for charitable deeds. One of her residents, Countess Anna Irodionovna Chernysheva, donated so much at the end of her life that she had enough to erect a stone gate church, a refectory, a sacristy and the abbess’s chambers.
The construction of the main monastery church
In 1829, a magnificent stone cathedral was consecrated in honor of the Nativity of Christ on the territory of the monastery. The authorship of his project is attributed to the famous Russian architect of Italian origin K. I. Rossi, who then lived in Tver. The Nativity of Christ Monastery, which was previously one of the most famous spiritual centers in Russia, has since become a place of mass pilgrimage, which served to further its prosperity. Then in one of its buildings a school was opened for girls from clergy families.
It is interesting to note that the attempt to build the five-domed Cathedral of the Nativity of Christ was first made in 1812, immediately after the expulsion of the French from Russian land. However, then she almost turned into a tragedy. When the huge stone building was completed on a draft, it suddenly collapsed, and only thanks to a lucky accident no one was hurt.
The period of troubles and humiliations
After the Bolsheviks came to power, the monastery, which has been counting for almost five centuries of its history, was closed. The sisters and novices were evicted, and their cells were given for housing to workers of the local factory. In two monastery churches - the Nativity of Christ and the Resurrection of Christ, which are bright architectural monuments - warehouses are located. In the mid-30s, the bell tower was demolished and the magnificent stone fence, once erected with popularly raised funds, was dismantled. From this began a long and difficult period of desecration and ruin of the Tver shrine.
The post-war years brought with it even greater misfortunes of the once glorious monastery visited by millions of pilgrims. Its main Nativity Cathedral was converted to accommodate a sports complex. For this purpose, it was required only to remove all the elements of the interior decoration still remaining by then, but also to completely redevelop it. In particular, floors were raised by a meter and a half, and locker rooms, showers and a sauna were arranged in the basement that was expanded in such a way. The central part of the church was converted into a basketball court, and where the altar used to be located, a hall was built for bodybuilding.
The rebirth of the trampled shrine
Only with the advent of perestroika, when attitudes towards religion changed, and for members of the government, and for most ordinary citizens, it became possible to return to the Church its desecrated shrine, which happened in March 1999. However, before the first liturgy was held in the main temple of the monastery, a large amount of restoration work was required. Eyewitnesses testify that all the monastery buildings were in disrepair - roofs leaked, the walls were covered with fungus and mold, and the window frames of most buildings were rotten.
Today, after a long cycle of restoration and restoration work, the Nativity of Christ Monastery (Tver), the photos of which are presented in the article, has again returned to the number of the most famous spiritual centers in Russia. As in previous years, pilgrims come to him from all over the country to bow to the shrines stored in it, saved during the years of atheistic hard times.
Conclusion
To everyone who wants to join their stream, we inform the address of the Christ Nativity Monastery: Tver, Proletarsky pos. 1a.
Everyone who visits him will be able to kneel before the holy images housed in three completely restored churches: the Nativity of Christ, the Ascension of Christ and also the Gate Church of the Holy Savior. In addition, it will be interesting to see the hospital Trinity Church located in the same place and the restored corner tower of the monastery.
At the end of the article we will inform for all who are going to make a pilgrimage to Tver, the schedule of divine services of the Nativity of the monastery. On weekdays, the hours and liturgy begin at 7:00, and evening services are held at 16:00. A memorial service is performed on Saturdays, and prayers are performed on Sundays.