Nicholas-Malitsky monastery has a rich history and is truly unique not only for the Tver land, but for the whole of Russia. It is of great importance in the revival of the spiritual life of monks through the comprehension of ancient traditions, the connection with which was cut off during the Soviet period.
Foundation History
The history of the St. Nicholas Malitsky Monastery began in the period 1584-1595. It was founded on the Shevyakova wasteland during the reign of Tsar Fedor Ivanovich. The monastery received its name by the name of the Malitsa River, flowing in the vicinity.
At first it was a poor monastery surrounded by a pine forest. Gradually, through the efforts of a small fraternity, the monastery developed and grew into land holdings. Soon, the Malitskaya settlement was formed near the monastery.
The proximity of the monastery to the Moscow-Novgorod road attracted merchants passing by. They drove here to pray to the patron of trade, Nicholas the Wonderworker, and often made valuable contributions.
Fire
The serene, albeit poor, life of the monastery ended in 1675. There was a big fire in the monastery, which did not leave any surviving buildings. When analyzing the ashes, the monks discovered only one image of the patron saint of the monastery, Nikolai Ugodnik.
Such an unusual event was perceived by the inhabitants of Tver as a miracle. It was decided to restore the St. Nicholas-Malitsky monastery by joint forces, at their own expense. A year later, a five-domed stone church in the name of the All-Merciful Savior was erected on the site of a burnt church on the donations of the royal stolnik G. Ovtsin.
The rest of the buildings, including the fence, were built of wood. Gradually, cells, utility rooms were restored and divine services were resumed.
In 1751, thanks to the contribution of Countess M. Shuvalova, the monastery was completely rebuilt from wooden to stone. The beginning of this was the miraculous healing of the countess, who, being sick, stayed in the Malitsky settlement.
Updated cloister
After the renovation, the territory of the Nikolo-Maletsky Monastery (Tver) acquired the shape of a quadrangle surrounded by a stone wall and a tower on each corner. Initially, the towers were crowned with tall wooden domes, but by the end of the XIX century all the buildings of the monastery were covered with iron.
In the center was the Spassky Temple, rebuilt in the form of a Greek cross. To the east of it was a corps for the fraternity. In the southern part were placed chambers for the abbot. Over the Holy Gates towered a two-tier bell, and on the sides - the Intercession and Mount Athos.
By the middle of the XVIII century, the cloister took the form of a single architectural ensemble, made in the Baroque style. Favorable geographical location, many revered shrines and the observance of ancient traditions, served as the reason that believers flocked here not only from neighboring villages, but also Tver itself.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the St. Nicholas-Malitsky Monastery developed and flourished. The buildings belonging to the cloister were even outside the confines of its territory. To the north of the monastery was a stone chapel, with an iconostasis of ancient icons. Another chapel was erected on the road to St. Petersburg.
At the monastery was a parish school and school. In 1880, the brotherhood of the monastery built country houses, which were leased to the inhabitants of Tver. The community was also actively engaged in economic activities. She owned her own mill and more than five hundred acres of forest and arable land.
Soviet years
After the October Revolution, all the splendor of the monastery was destroyed and lost forever. The cathedral church and other buildings were selected. The exact closing date of the monastery is unknown. In archival sources there is evidence that the Intercession Church continued to work intermittently until 1929-1933.
During the Great Patriotic War, the front line passed here and continuous battles were fought. The main part of the architectural ensemble of the monastery was destroyed by enemy bombing.
After the victory over the fascist invaders, the Soviet authorities were not able to allocate funds for the restoration of the monastery. Residents of the surrounding villages began to use everything that could be broken down for the improvement of their houses from the preserved buildings of the monastery - planks, window frames, doors.
Together with the monastery, the church cemetery was destroyed. Only a few graves have survived at the old graves. Only the fraternal corps remained from the former magnificent monastery. For some time it served as a hostel for collective farmers, but in 1980 it was abandoned and plundered.
Rebirth
The first attempts to revive the monastery were made in May 1994, when a worship cross was erected at the walls of the destroyed monastery complex and a moleben was served.
The overhaul of the St. Nicholas Malitsky Monastery began in 2005. Unfortunately, it was not possible to reconstruct the monastery in its original form. The architectural ensemble of the monastery, by the time of its liquidation, consisted of various elements that took shape over two centuries. In addition, a reliable description and measurement of destroyed buildings were not preserved.
Therefore, the churches located in the cloisters on the Mount Athos served as models for the monastery churches. So, the Intercession Cathedral of St. Nicholas Malitsky monastery was made in the likeness of the Vatopedi Church of the Private Belt.
Today the monastery lives its full life. The restoration of the architectural complex is in its final stage. The duration and severity of the monastery services, not only does not scare away believers, but, on the contrary, attracts more and more new parishioners here.
A special pride of the monastery is the church choir. All chants are conducted in Greek according to ancient nemes. Byzantine chants differ from partisan singing asceticism and require long preparation.
Address and schedule of the St. Nicholas Malitsky Monastery
The revived monastery becomes the real spiritual center of the Tver diocese. The routine chosen by the brethren, as much as possible in Russia, is close to the charter of the Athos monasteries.
The schedule of divine services at the St. Nicholas Malitsky Monastery includes a full daily cycle of all services according to the order approved by the Church: from 6 a.m., the midnight, matins and liturgies are performed consecutively, and from 5 p.m. Vespers and supper. Before the holidays, night vigils are held, which run from 22 hours to 4 hours in the morning.
Most of the services are held in the large Pokrovsky church. It does not use electric lighting - all services are performed by candlelight. According to the monastery charter, the number of candles lit corresponds to the type of service. The more solemn the holiday, the more candles are lit on the chandeliers.
In the service of the St. Nicholas-Malitsky Monastery, so much is borrowed from the Greek that for the Russian Orthodox it sometimes seems strange and not entirely clear. But it is enough to stand for a short time, immersed in prayer, as everything around becomes natural and native.
Address of the Nicholas-Malitsky monastery in Tver: the village of Nikola-Malitsa, st. School, d. 17.