The oldest and most beautiful Alekseevo-Akatov Convent of Voronezh was originally a man’s. Today it is a small paradise and a real pearl of the city, where many Orthodox believers want to go. He has a very rich and interesting story, however, it is associated with tragic and difficult events. The thing is that this monastery was founded in 1620. It was at that time that the townspeople vowed, in case of victory over the Lithuanians and Circassians, to build a temple. The battle with the enemies took place on the day of memory of the Metropolitan of Moscow and All Russia, St. Alexis the Wonderworker. In honor of him, a temple was subsequently built on a large Akatovaya glade - a deaf forest hill located not far from Voronezh, which gave the name of the newly created monastery. So the future female Akatov monastery of Voronezh was founded, the schedule of services and the address of which will be presented at the end.
Holy desert
The nunnery located in the city of Voronezh, the photos of which represent it in all its splendor and gracious fragrance, was supplemented by the fact that in 1999 the Vvedensky church left to it. She is one of the most beautiful churches in the city. Currently, many pilgrims come to the Voronezh Convent who want to bow to the new martyrs and shrines in Voronezh.
As for history, the first abbot was appointed hegumen Kirill, who in 1600 founded the monastery of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The found old document about him testifies to the fact that at first wooden buildings were built on its territory - a church, abbot cells and several cells for the elders.
Monastery
The future nunnery in Voronezh on Manezhnaya was originally built on the basis of hermitage housing - desertification. Then there were seven monks in the fraternity together with the rector. Their names are miraculously preserved: Abbot Cyril, Joseph the “black pop”, old monks Theodosius, Savvaty, Abraham, Lavrentiy and Nikon. Over time, the number of inhabitants increased, since the Assumption Monastery was abolished, which turned out to be in straitened circumstances on the memorable days of Peter the Great, as it was next to the shipyards.
From the end of the 17th century to the beginning of the 19th century, Akatov Monastery was a male monastery, which for a long time remained the only one in the city.
Mother of God icon “Three-handed”
The name of Archimandrite Nikanor is associated with the appearance in the future convent of Voronezh of the shrine of the monastery - the miraculous icon of the Virgin “Three-Handed”, representing a list from an ancient image. She was brought from the New Rusalimsky Resurrection Monastery, from where the archimandrite began his monasticism, where he was rector in recent years. This icon is especially loved by Voronezh residents; they always believed in its miraculous power.
But during the reign of Empress Catherine the Great because of her church reforms, the number of monasteries decreased. Alekseevsky monastery was assigned to the second class. His staff could include only 17 people. The monastery was left 8 acres of land and a lake for fishing.
Life in the cloister
The Voronezh Convent on Manezhnaya Street has not changed its address since 1620. Since then, little is known about the life of this holy monastery. But here it is worth mentioning the god-wise monk, the inhabitant of the monastery, the venerated Zadonsky old elder, Shimonk Agapit (then he was hieromonk Habakkuk). The ascetic of piety, who received the blessing from St. Tikhon and his honorable schimonk Mitrofan, labored to live in the Alekseevsky monastery.
The name of yet another Zadonsky ascetic, who lived several decades earlier, is associated with the Voronezh Convent - the young nobleman Georgy Alekseevich Mashurin, whose pious life and letters, which were repeatedly published, influenced the salvation of many souls.
The remaining information about the monastery of the XVIII-IX centuries mainly relates to the external and official aspects of the life of the monastery. The works of the abbots on the improvement and construction of the monastery, as well as their spiritual and educational work, as this position provided for combining with the post of rector of the theological seminary, became more famous. The monastery from 1742 was under the direction of the vicar bishops of Ostrogozhsky.
Convent of the city of Voronezh
For example, Archimandrite Illarion (Bogolyubov) compiled a more complete description of the Voronezh Alekseev-Akatov Monastery (1859) for its time. At the end of the 19th century, a special spiritual and educational flourishing of the monastery took place, thanks to the activity of His Grace Vladimir Sokolovsky, who possessed enormous missionary and pedagogical experience.
It was at this time that the Diocesan School Council and the Orthodox Missionary Committee, a teacher and regency school, where theological conversations and readings accompanied by light paintings were taking place, a choir of boys studied (the Vladyka himself paid much attention to their education).
The monastery throughout its entire existence was built and beautified. First, a two-story church was built, made of stone (1804-1819), which to this day operates and even is well preserved. The lower church in 1812 was consecrated in honor of the Resurrection of Christ (today it bears the name in honor of St. Alexis). The project was created by the provincial architect I. Volkov. Money for the construction was donated by the widow of Evdokia Anikeev. The bell tower of the monastery is today the oldest building in Voronezh, dating from 1674.
Brethren
We know almost nothing about how the monastic brethren lived, about their prayer works, secret deeds and comforts. However, the revival of the monastery monastery almost a hundred years later testifies that their labors and prayers were not in vain. The life of the monks was secret in Bose and hidden from human eyes.
The terrible trials that befell the Russian Orthodox Church did not pass over the Akatov Monastery. When many churches were closed or taken away by renovationists. The monastery, previously little known in the 1920s, became the center of the spiritual life of the city and the seat of the diocesan bishop. In 1926, Metropolitan Vladimir (Shimkovich), an archpastor, a humble old man who courageously defended Orthodoxy against the godless people of the existing government, began to live here.
Ascetics of Faith
Nearby was the house, which is to this day. The holy martyr Peter (Zverev) lived in it. He did not live there for long, about a year, but his ministry in the city inscribed bright pages in the history of the city. In the monastery, Vladyka often held services and preached. Many believers were going to listen to him, who loved Archbishop Peter as a true minister of the Orthodox faith, its charters and canons. At that time, the abbot was Archimandrite Innocent (Trouble). He was a very close person to the Lord, his cotaine and cell-man. They were arrested together and then exiled to the Solovetsky camp, where they died. First, in 1927 - the holy martyr Peter, and in 1928 - Archimandrite Innocent.
Arrests
In the 1930s, the last rector of the Alekseevo-Akatov monastery, Archimandrite Tikhon (Krechkov), had to accept the same cup of Christ’s suffering. He was arrested on a false charge of counter-revolutionary activity and shot in the vicinity of Voronezh on the day of remembrance of the prophet Elijah (August 2). The record of his interrogation was retained. In it you can see the undeniable evidence of his indestructible faith and deep wisdom. It was written there that he did not say the words that fellowship with the atheists was like crucifying Christ, and that when he arrived in the villages he did not talk about the persecution of religion, although there were such conversations among the peasants.
Together with their abbot, the monastic brotherhood also suffered martyrdom: Hieromonkos Cosmas (Vyaznikov) and George (Pozharov), as well as priests who served in the monastery, Sergius Gortinsky and Theodor Yakovlev. In 2000, they were canonized by the ROC Council of Bishops as Russian new martyrs.
In the summer of 1931 the monastery was closed. What fate awaited his inhabitants was unknown, no evidence of this was left.
Times of oblivion
And then, over the course of several decades, the new government ruined the holy monastery and betrayed it for reproach. All the monastic property was destroyed, liturgical utensils and the miraculous image of the Mother of God the Three Handgrips disappeared without a trace, the library and archive were seized.
All the buildings of the future women's Akatov monastery in Voronezh were used for various needs and were often used in the most inappropriate way. There were apartments, warehouses, art workshops, and stables. Abuses were also over the graves of the monastery cemetery. Later it was razed to the ground, on which everything was overgrown with weeds. There was only one bell tower, sadly and lonely rising above the mournful picture of the devastated monastery. Already only in the 70s, the bell tower was taken under protection as a historical monument and was partially restored in 1986.
Monastery opening
In the 90s, restoration work began on the entire monastery, when, with the blessing of the Russian patriarch Alexy II, he was transferred to the Voronezh diocese, and then a nunnery was opened here. On the day of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God (November 4, 1990), prayers of the Divine Liturgy finally began to sound in the church. In early January 1992, ten sisters took the first tonsure. Among them was the nun Varvara (Sazhneva), who soon became the abbess, elevated to the rank of abbess (April 1993).
At present, fifty sisters are serving and working in the Glory of God in the monastery. A few more constantly live near the monastery’s courtyard, where they take care of the household - cows, calves and various poultry. The sisters also cultivate the land during seasonal work. Since 1994, the monastery in its Sunday school has been teaching children from 5 to 15 years old God's law, Church Slavonic language, church singing and the basics of painting.
Recovery work
Many relics of the godly wise fathers, myrrh-streaming icons and various shrines are stored in the women's Akatov monastery in Voronezh. The schedule of services can change, and here you need to be careful not to be late for the service or, even worse, to skip.
Now everything has been restored on the monastery’s territory: both the church and the bell tower, the cell buildings, the chapel for the water sanctuary and the chapel for the new martyrs of Voronezh with icons made of mosaics, and the refectory have been built again. Temple murals in the temple were re-executed. Initially, the Voronezh icon painters, under the leadership of V. Gladyshev, decorated the lower temple with frescoes, then, the Yelets icon painter V. Marchenko worked on them. When the work was completed, the consecration of the temple was performed by Metropolitan Sergiy of Voronezh on the day of commemoration of St. Anthony of Smirnitsky, a locally revered saint, glorified in 2003.
Convent in Voronezh on Manezhnaya: address, how to get there
It is located in the private sector next to the reservoir near the Chernavsky bridge. There are no hotels in the monastery. However, by prior agreement, the monastery can accommodate up to 25 pilgrims, preferably women. Also, by agreement, workers are also accepted.
Today this heavenly place is at rest under the cover of the Mother of God. A lot of people come to the Voronezh Convent. The schedule of services here is almost always the same. On weekdays, the early Liturgy begins at 7.30. On Sundays and the twelfth holidays, two Liturgies are celebrated: the first morning at 6.30 and the second at 8.30. Evening service in the summer begins at 17.00, and in the winter - at 16.00.
Those who are interested in how to get to the Voronezh Convent at the address: Voronezh, st. Liberation of Labor, 1B, it is necessary to suggest that you can get to the stop at Manezhnaya by bus number 6, 8, 62, 52, 79, 98, 101, as well as by trolley bus number 8 or minibus 20, 77k, 104, 386.